


Deception, Fear and Redemption

by Anchanee



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Angst, Avengers Family, BAMF Pepper Potts, Canon - Movie, Canon Divergent (now and then), Corporal Punishment, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Extremis Pepper Potts, F/M, Flashbacks, FrostIron - Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, Intersex Loki, Loki Needs a Hug, M/M, Mpreg, Multi, Nightmares, Odin's A+ Parenting, Panic Attacks, Parent Tony Stark, Protective Pepper, Punishment, Rape Aftermath, Slave Loki, Slavery, Suicidal Thoughts, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Touch-Starved, Twins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-18
Updated: 2015-10-02
Packaged: 2018-03-23 14:23:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 24
Words: 121,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3771550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anchanee/pseuds/Anchanee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"My brother claims, that you Man of Iron, forced yourself on him during your time alone in these rooms and that you sired his offspring."</p><p>"What?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Baking Thursday

**Author's Note:**

> "Mpreg is stupid and I won't read, let alone write it." Or so I thought a year ago. Well, clearly my perception on the subject has changed because: TADA! My very own mpreg story. Since Loki is a god I can forget my reservations and knock him up. Literally in this case.
> 
> Before you start reading this story I want to say three things:  
> 
>   * Chapters won't be preceded by warnings if something off-putting is going to happen. That's what the tags are for. This story is dark and mean and brutal, at least on occasion. Loki is not at a good place when he arrives at Avengers Tower and it shows. If you feel put off by any of the tags, please don't read it. Fanfiction should be fun and I don't want you to feel bad because of it. That however, leads directly to:
>   * I won't apologize. Many authors write what's in their head and then say 'sorry' after they posted it. I won't do that. This is how my story goes. I write things a certain way and I won't apologize for that. (With the exception of the numerous mistakes I made. They do not happen on purpose. I just don't know better. So: Sorry for them! ;) )
>   * Some time has passed since I finished my Sterek-story. I chose to write my first draft into a booklet now, instead of on the computer. I enjoy the feeling of pen and paper and escaping normality for a few hours and play with Tony, Loki, Pepper and the other Avengers. I do this in my free time. I type it, edit it (twice) and then send it to my betareader trulywished before posting it. All just for fun.
> 

> 
> All of us who write put our minds, but more importantly, or heart into our stories. You don't have to comment if you don't like them. Always remember, we are doing the best we can, just for fun. (Yours as well as ours.) If you decide to share your thoughts, even if you offer criticism, be polite about it. It is possible to point out flaws and irregularities in a way that is respectful towards the writer.  
> Our works mean a lot. Even if they don't cost money, they need time and effort before they can be published. As authors, we are part of our stories. We don't always recognize our mistakes and most of us are grateful when someone points them out. Please keep that in mind when you read this, or any other story in this archive.
> 
> Thank you  
> Anchanee

They had this rule in Avengers Tower. Well, actually it was less of a rule and more of an unspoken agreement. Not long after the Avengers had moved into the tower, Steve had decided they needed team building exercises. For 'normal' people that meant talking to each other, maybe an occasional game-night. But if you were a super soldier, a pair of deadly spies, a brilliant engineer, a Norse god and a giant green rage monster – or a nerdy scientist, depending on the occasion – all working for one of the most secretive organisations on this planet, you were not allowed to talk about the majority of what you did. The rest of the time they spent together. Talking about the latest battle got old pretty fast. Training with each other was not a viable option either, because aiming for each other's throats did not put anyone at ease. Of course they had to spar. They would be stupid not to, since their missions still contained fifty percent fighting and fifty percent damage control (also mostly by fighting). Still, it was not something they particularly enjoyed.

Therefore, Steve had asked for options where they could come together and relax, aside of semi–regular movie nights. In a fit of wit, meant mostly as a joke, Tony had suggested baking. Surprisingly, that suggestion had not been rejected immediately. After going over a few other options, everybody had agreed to the engineer's initial idea. Henceforth, every Thursday one of them was choosing a recipe and they started throwing flour, butter and eggs at each other. At least if Bruce was not the one choosing. He had the irritating habit to find 'vegetarian' or even 'vegan' recipes he wanted to try. They were pretty good, but that was beside the point. What fun was baking without an occasional food-fight?

The problem at the moment was that their favourite couple of spies was in Cuba, or Leningrad or somewhere else. The information of their whereabouts was classified and for once, Tony had not bothered to hack into the S.H.I.E.L.D. database to discover it. They had been away for the last two weeks. The remaining Avengers had waited and forgone baking Thursday the first week, opting for a movie and take–out instead. Thor had told them that he would have to leave for Asgard in the morning, making it impossible for him to fully savour the fruits of their combined efforts.

The second week, Tony, Bruce and Steve had longingly looked at the kitchen. But nobody had actually voiced his desire to make something.

Yesterday, Wednesday of the third week, after a fight with some vicious aliens that had reminded Tony uncomfortably of the Chitauri, the engineer had ordered ingredients for some cake (sparkling decoration included) from JARVIS, the moment he had left S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters after debriefing.

Nearly three years had passed since Loki’s attempt to govern earth. Three years of nightmares, panic attacks, and reluctantly attended therapy Pepper persuaded him to join, after he nearly lost her in the battle against Aldrich Killian. Tony had turned his life around, had gotten better. At least he had thought so. But today’s attack had brought everything back to the surface. The engineer spent a few hours repairing his suit before crawling into bed shortly before sunrise. Fortunately Pepper had decided to stay in the tower tonight. Her warm, pliant body instinctively turned towards his, helping Tony to ground himself and find some sleep.

When he had woken in the early afternoon, her scent had still lingered, making Tony smile for a second, before the memories assaulted him once again. Taking a deep breath, he forced down the rising anxiety, hopped into a much needed shower and randomly pulled some clothes out of his wardrobe. When he entered the kitchen in jeans and his old Black Sabbath long–sleeve, Pepper was chatting with Steve and Bruce, who were hovering indecisively.

After his first cup of coffee, bless Steve for supplying his drug of choice, Tony decided to grab the bull at its horns. "Guys, I thought that maybe we could ..." Making a vague gesture towards the oven, he couldn't think of a way of how to finish that sentence without implying to go behind the backs of their favourite spies.

"I ... ahm ..." Bruce rubbed his hands nervously. "There were ingredients for frosting in the fridge and I didn't want them to go bad." Tony refrained from mentioning that he had ordered them only yesterday, since things were clearly going into the desired direction.

Steve suggested, "We could make something small. Just so nothing will go bad."

Captain America, the guy raised during the great depression, was swallowing his tongue while proposing a team bonding activity, with only half the team present. How adorable. Tony would not mention this to Clint and Natasha, but if they asked Steve, the Captain would fold like a house of cards and they would all be busted. A glance towards Bruce told him, that his science-brother was well aware of this. Still, he did not seem ready to abandon the idea.

Apparently they all craved ‘normality’ after yesterday’s battle.

Not looking up from her tablet, the only woman in his life who not only knew, but was willing to handle him and his super-hero room-mates, remarked off-handed, "I haven't had Cupcakes in a while."

And so the decision was made. They measured ingredients and pointedly did not talk about how to keep this a secret from their spies. The only ones on their team who knew how to keep something to themselves were Clint and Natasha and well … this was the snake biting its own tail.

The kitchen started to fill with a delicious smell of chocolate and cherries and slowly the three men started to unwind from yesterday’s battle. Steve was currently arranging the little cakes while Bruce applied the frosting. Tony tried mapping out a white star on the blue frosting to create a star-spangled cupcake. Pepper had stolen his first one and now had the slightest smudge of frosting in the corner of her mouth.

During the last hour, something had unclenched in Tony's chest, and he was currently debating with himself if he should approach the CEO of his company, to lick the frosting from her mouth, or if he was safer on this side of the counter, where he could not get any frosting on Pepper's business attire. Tony knew that she would head down to her office eventually, and she was not a fan of messy clothes. Virginia Potts was nothing but impeccable when she was on the clock. Deciding that he could afford to ignore her preferences – he was her employer after all – Tony handed over his half-finished cupcake to Steve and slowly started to circle the counter.

"If you think that I will allow you within a five foot radius of me, Mr. Stark, you are very much mistaken." Pepper told him calmly, while calculating numbers single mindedly. Alright, Tony grinned, Game On! He could practically feel Bruce and Steve smirking behind his back. Every Avenger, yes even Hulk, had learned to adore Pepper as much as Tony did. But, unlike Tony, they all – with maybe Natasha as the only exception – had a healthy amount of fear of her. Not just because she got really hot sometimes.

Pepper Potts was competent, determined and got the job done, no matter what. That attitude was the reason she was able to get every last one of them into a suit to join this fund-raiser or that charity event, with but a raised her eyebrow. God, Tony thought, he really had the hottest girlfriend on this planet (no pun intended here) if she could even bring superheroes to heel. So stalking her in the middle of the common floor, with confectioner's sugar on his shirt and full to the brim with caffeine, made Tony feel positively giddy. He did not even bother to look up when the sky unexpectedly clouded over, announcing the arrival of their very own Thunder god.

Those who landed on the platform, however, were not what any of them had expected. Eight warriors, clad in shining, golden armour with huge swords in their hands, stood around a ninth, slightly smaller figure, hiding it from view. Having worked with the military his entire life, Tony had to admire the precision of their movement when they entered the room, a morose looking Thor on their heels. Steve and Bruce abandoned the kitchen, trading places with Pepper. They would have Tony's back while the CEO of Stark Industries was as far away from any potential danger as possible without drawing attention to her. Tony didn't even have time to ponder who these unexpected guests were, before Thor approached them.

"Greetings my friends," the Thunderer started, but he did not pull them into his accustomed bear hug. Instead, he kept his distance. Formally, he announced, "I am here on behalf of the Allfather. An unexpected situation has arisen with my br… with Loki. I was sent here to verify it."

As if following an unknown choreography, the guards stepped aside, allowing the Avengers present an unrestricted view of their prisoner. Falling several hundred feet, endless hours of fighting and the vast, cold emptiness of space overwhelmed Tony, rooting him on the spot. His mind trapped in the most horrible memories he had been forced to make since Afghanistan made it impossible for him to join the conversation.

With Bruce and Steve as captivated audience, Thor explained, "At the eve prior to Loki's third relocation, he revealed that he is with child. As Allfather, Odin is forced to verify this claim since, if my brother's allegations were true, my father had decided that you would become his next master, Anthony Stark, son of Howard and Maria."

Tony had spent a lot of time and effort to get Thor to call him by his first name. The odd addressing brought the engineer back to the present. The same moment Steve asked, "Thor, what do you mean by 'Loki's next master'?"

Nodding to himself as if he had expected that question, the god explained, "After Loki's misdeeds on Midgard, and another unsuccessful attempt to the throne, our father judged him guilty of treason. Prison was not a suitable punishment any longer since it clearly had no educational effect. Usurpation of the throne of Asgard is the most severe crime in our realm. Our father decided that Loki had to make amends in every one of our realms. From all worlds, one person of influence would claim him as bondsman and he would cater to that person's every whim. After eight years with eight different masters, Loki would be brought back to Asgard to be judged anew. A year might sound like a short time, but this was but a preliminary verdict to see if my brother would be able to learn the error of his ways. Should Loki show remorse, his sentence would be lightened to servitude. He would then be completing it in the realms of Asgard. My brother had had one mistress and one master so far. Tomorrow he was supposed to …"

"Excuse me, Thor," Steve unexpectedly interrupted. "But what you are saying – that Loki is given to different 'masters' and that his sentence will be 'lightened' to servitude – sounds an awful lot like slavery to me."

Entirely oblivious to the sudden tension that seemed to arise in his mortal friends, Thor nodded, "Of course, my friend. A prisoner has no rights while serving punishment. Where would be the sense in that?"

Repulsed, Steve stepped back, and Bruce took up the line of questioning. "Thor, are you telling us, that every 'master' your brother had so far, would have had the right to do with him as he or she saw fit? Does that include corporal punishment?" Bruce voice might have been calm at that point, but even Thor could see the green tint starting to bloom on his skin.

Placating, the god raised his hands. "The societies in the other realms are far more advanced than Midgard. I can assure you, my friends, nobody would chose a disproportionate punishment. Loki is the son of Odin after all." After a second he added only for them to hear, "Officially."

And wasn't that the nicest sentiment? Tony loved Thor, he really did; as much as every other member of his team; for exactly this: blue eyed, naïve conviction that people were inherently good. That they were not stupid, mean, cruel and vicious given the chance. But instead of commenting on the sentiment, the engineer was wrapped up in scrutinizing Loki. While the others were discussing his current sentence and what had brought it on, Tony had taken his time to watch the God of Mischief. What he saw reminded him too much of his own reflection after Afghanistan. Still, not his problem. So Tony turned towards Thor to see where this was heading.

Thor, luckily, had decided to finally come to the point of this impromptu visit. "My brother claims, that you, Man of Iron, forced yourself on him during your time alone in these rooms and that you sired his offspring."

"What?"

~ ᗯ ~

Bruce had to fight the transformation, until Pepper put a calming hand on his shoulder, pulling him back towards the kitchen-block, while Steve started shouting. Thor defended his accusations and Tony … Tony was watching the one they called Liesmith who stood chained and broken between these impressive guards. The god did not even dare to move, he barely breathed, didn't risk looking up. But the longer the shouting lasted, the tenser he became. The moment Steve and Thor agreed that this was all a farce, and that Thor would bring Loki back to Asgard because Tony clearly could not be the sire of his children, the God of Lies made a desperate attempt to break free.

The guards however, had been prepared for the move. Before he could even come close to Tony, they tripped him and hit him on the neck, beating him into submission. Still, Loki crawled the last distance and only thanks to Tony's raised hand – a wordless request for the guards to leave their prisoner alone – did they not drag him back by his chains like the rabid dog he seemed to be. Loki finally came to rest, cowering in front of Tony.

When the human, angry about the lie the god had told about him, grabbed the black hair and pulled his head up roughly, the tormented god wrapped his arms protectively around his middle while whispered nearly inaudible, "Please, I'm begging you. Have mercy." He dared to meet Stark's gaze for one, endless second before dropping his eyes again.

Shit, Tony realized, he really was about to do this.

It was not the mirror image Loki presented, Tony knew that much. Sure he might feel bad for the god, he was not that heartless. But it was not as if Loki had not had this coming. The engineer had even warned him about it the day they had met. It was not even his haggard body that told the billionaire without a shadow of doubt that he had not only been abused, but starved as well. He was a god, clearly he could take it. No, it was his eyes. Eyes that showed an emotion Tony had encountered far too often since he had become Iron Man.

These were the eyes of a parent who held out their child for him to save, knowing that they wouldn't make it. The burning car, the crumbling building, the surroundings didn't matter, the look was always the same. But Iron Man never took the child. It was one of the things he had found himself incapable of doing. Tony always reached for the mother or father, pulling them free, carrying them to safety, because he knew, beyond the shadow of doubt that a parent would never let go of their kid. He had suffered burn marks, broken bones, one time even a concussion. But not once in the past five years had he made a child an orphan by failing to save their mum or dad. He wouldn't start now.

Clutching Loki's hair tighter, letting the anger of why the fuck had he been dragged into this, fill him. He would need this anger, because he most likely would be alone at the end of this day. Yet there really was no other way. Karma's a bitch. Disgusted he pushed Loki away, "Apparently, you are not even free from paternity suits when you are fucking a man. How the hell is this my life!?"

The silence around him was absolute, until Steve asked hoarsely, "What?"

God bless Captain America, always the upstanding citizen, always so trusting when it came to his friends. It pained Tony to destroy that trust. Despite their somewhat rough start, Tony had come to like the man. Steve had taken his loud and brash personality in stride as soon as he had realized that Iron Man would go any length to protect the people on this planet. And all it had taken was a nuclear missile and an unplanned trip to outer space. Now the man's piercing blue eyes bore into his, pleading with him to laugh this off, to reveal the punch-line to a tasteless joke. But Tony couldn't do him this favour, no matter how much he wanted to. Not when it came to children. And all because of this bastard, Loki.

Aiming for nonchalance, Tony gestured at the guards. "Come on, Capsicle, don't act so shocked. Loki's a criminal, a dangerous one if his travelling to earth merits all these warriors. I had an opening because of his performance issues. So I showed him my performance."

Shocked into stupor by that revelation, Thor turned towards him slowly, looking at him half with disgust and half incredulous. And hello, this was a judgemental look Tony could have done without. "You forced yourself on my brother?"

Did only Tony see the minuscule tremble that always ran over Loki's cowered form, whenever Thor called him brother? "Adopted brother. You told us so on your second trip to earth." He replied, raising his chin defiantly. "Or do you really think he defenestrated me because I mouthed off?"

With a roar Thor charged him, but the guards intercepted the god's path. It took four of them to hold Thor back, and only because he tried not very hard. Brokenly he shouted, "We fought alongside each other. I called you my friend!"

'Yeah,' thought Tony, 'clearly you don't know me as well as you thought.' The same seemed to be true for Banner and Rogers, who looked at Tony with ill-concealed contempt. And Pepper was not even looking at him, instead rummaging through their cupboards.

The head guard let go of the first son of Odin and approached Tony with a stoic expression that betrayed none of his thoughts. Politely he offered a black box that came to life as soon as Tony touched it. "By decree of the Allfather, ruler of the nine realms, you, Man of Iron, will be the next master of Loki Liesmith. His life and well-being will be in your hands and you shall treat him as you see fit. His magic is bound by this collar and shall be yours to command, as will his mind and body. The collar also contains a punishing device, activated by this device. Please use it however you see fit. We will return in one year. Since Loki will be the mother of your children, the Allfather has decided that you may make another claim on him until you have no longer need of him. You might be forced to rely on his advice of how to raise the children of a god. Do you accept these rights and responsibilities?"

'Yes, I accept that you are a bastard who willingly hands his prince over to his rapist just because that's what your almighty king demanded!' In an uncharacteristic attempt of diplomatic behaviour, Tony kept his thoughts to himself and said, as respectful as possible, "I accept these rights and responsibilities. My best wishes to your king." 'And now get out of my tower!'

As if able to hear his thoughts, the guards bowed as one, before leaving for the landing platform where they vanished in a flash of light.

~ ᗯ ~

"I need to leave." Thor had a knack for stating the obvious. Turning towards Steve he promised, "I will return should you be in need of me, but …"

Their Captain clearly understood, even when Thor was at loss for words. He put a comforting hand on the Thunder god's shoulder before he turned away.

"I think …" Bruce was next.

"We will leave for our floor." Steve finished needlessly. And no, that look of disappointment on both of their faces left nothing to the imagination.

Well, Tony really couldn't hold it against them. He was a pretty skilled liar after all. Had to be in his position. It seemed that there was at least one thing he had in common with Loki. Yet, somehow he doubted that this boded well for their future. Looking down at the god he was somehow taking custody of, he noticed that he had not moved an inch since Tony had thrown him aside. He still wore the shackles they had put on him for the journey and had not dared to lift his face after his pleading. He cowered into himself when Tony finally approached him.

"Shhhh, it's alright, Reindeer Games, they are gone. Nobody is going to hurt you." He tried to assure the god, but was not convinced that his words registered. To appear as non-threatening as possible he crouched down and gently touched a trembling shoulder. "Come on, let's get you out of these shackles. You need your hands, don't you? Hands are awesome, for eating for example. Are you hungry? You look like you are hungry. Maybe we can order something."

He was rambling and well aware of it. But it was not every day that you got a god dumped in your lap. Or that you were told that said god was the 'mother' of your children. Children? As in more than one? What the hell! Tony had to find out if Loki was alright with having an ultrasound. Were gods even susceptible to this kind of technology?

Tony's train of thought was interrupted, when he finally pulled the shackles off, because the god reached for him as soon as he was free. The engineer had been prepared for many things. Being hit by a curse, or even thrown out of the window again, and the last one really would have really sucked because the wristbands for his suit were not even remotely within reach.

What he definitely had not expected was Loki kissing his hands reverently before pulling them to his clammy forehead. His voice sounded broken and hoarse from disuse. At least Tony hoped it was from disuse and not from too much screaming, because he did not know how to deal with that. Anyway, the God of Mischief coughed once, before whispering urgently as if he expected to be interrupted at any moment. "My life, my magic, everything is yours to command in exchange for the safety of my children. I shall obey you not only in word but also in spirit. From this day on, until you banish me from this realm."

Wow … that was … wow. That was so far from anything Tony had expected that he did not even know how to react to that promise. Yet silence seemed to be exactly the wrong thing in this situation, because the longer it dragged on, the more Loki pulled back again. After a few moments he breathed, barely audible, "Forgive me, Master, for speaking out of turn. Please punish me however you see fit."

Now it was Tony's turn to flinch. Whatever this fucked up situation was, he was clearly in way over his head. And he did not even have his fellow Avengers to ask for advice. Not that he did that very often. Just, right now he could really do with some help. Tony realize how much he had come to rely on these people and with one, stupid decision, he had lost them all.

"JARVIS, cut the feed from this room for the next ten minutes."

_"As you wish, Miss Potts."_

Turning around, Tony found himself face to face with Pepper, who had a stiff drink in her hand. When was the last time Pepper had made him a drink? Clearly the world was coming to an end. Too drained to question her at the moment, Tony accepted it and fell on the couch beside his newest houseguest. The god did not react to Tony's proximity, did not come closer, but didn't shy away from him either. He seemed withdrawn and resigned after his request for punishment and right now, nobody knew how deal with this situation.

When Tony looked up at Pepper he was prepared for her to shout at him. But instead of venting an anger she certainly had to feel after what she had just learned, she looked thoughtful while typing something into her pad. Her voice was composed when she advised him, "We should go public as soon as possible. We will bend Loki's story a little further, making the sex angry but consensual. We need to think of an angle to assure the public that Loki is not a threat to them. Some might recognize him from the attack. Otherwise there could be a widespread panic and we can't afford that. It will be hard enough to make people believe that a male is carrying your children."

Tony couldn't believe his ears. Pepper was talking as if this was nothing but one of the stunts he pulled on a semi-regular basis. This entire situation was like an open wound and Tony could not help but prod it to see if it would start bleeding again. "Pepper, I just told Odin's guards that I am the father of Loki's children. Is this really all you have to say to that? That we need to make sure that the public won't perceive Loki as a threat? I just confessed to raping a god!"

Finalizing something, maybe the first PR-draft for this story, Pepper looked at him and nodded seriously. "Yes, I know. I heard the story you were going with for these Asgardians and I understand that you didn't have time to come up with something more believable for the Avengers. But I have been with you long enough to accept a few things about you as inevitable: you can be egoistic, narcissistic and lots of times an asshole. But there is one thing I am sure of: You would never, ever force yourself on somebody. The story Loki told is a lie we have to go with, so we will deal with it accordingly."

Whoa, so that's how it felt to be able to breathe. Tony looked at Pepper and took in her no-nonsense attitude, realizing that to her this really was no different from him flirting with a starlet he picked up at a party or dealing with one of the paternity suits that were thrown at him occasionally. The only exception was that this time Tony was the one lying about the father of the baby.

This would influence their relationship, big time, and they both knew it. But Pepper had his back. No matter how much trouble he was in, Pepper always had his back. And in the end that was all that mattered. Together they had managed to argue their way out of every weapons-contract Stark Industries had held after his return from Afghanistan. They had raised a successful business from its ashes. One that was now a leading company in green energy.

_"Security feed, back online."_

JARVIS' calm tone pulled Tony out of his musings. They would need to do a lot of damage control, with S.H.I.E.L.D. as one of their major concerns. Tony could already see Fury having a conniption over this. Still, he had taken responsibility for these unborn children and he would not back out of it now. He thought of something to say to Pepper, something that would show her how very grateful he was that she was still at his side, despite all the shit he had dumped on her all these years, with this as the icing on the cake. But all words he could think off sounded so empty. He settled on a question instead. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

Straightening her skirt, she would have to go to the office after all, Pepper approached Tony with a loving smile. She bent down towards him and whispered into his ear, "No, but after the first media-storm is over, I will let you prove it." She kissed him gently before heading for the elevators.

Before she entered, Tony held her back one last time, "You can't tell anyone, Pepper. You know that, right? We are dealing with gods here and I don't want even the faintest idea, that I could not be the father of these children, out in the universe. Alright?"

Pepper's face clouded over for a heartbeat, but then she straightened again, returning to her calm and collected self, "I understand. See you later, Tony."

~ ᗯ ~


	2. Making Things Right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes doing the right thing can cost you everything. Sometimes it does not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As of right now I have a betareader. trulywished is the fastest editor I have ever worked with and I am very grateful for her support.  
> I reloaded Chapter 1. Luckily there were no major changes. So, enjoy the new one.

Once his partner was gone, Tony looked down at the God of Mischief who yet had to move or even breathe louder than a ghost. "What am I going do to with you?"

Suspecting that this was a rhetorical question, Loki decided that it was safer not to answer. This situation was his last, desperate attempt to create a better life for the children he carried. A life where they would not suffer for his mistakes. Tony Stark had no reason to help him, not after the attack on Midgard and what Loki had put him through. But he had been the only choice, the only human with whom Loki's plan had even the most remote chance of success. Stark had no other reason than get his revenge, and the fallen god had accepted that. He was willing to suffer every torture this human could think of, for the possibility that he would take care of his children. To keep them away from Asgard, and all the vengeful gods, who still had unfinished business with him.

Contrary to Loki, Jarvis was willing to offer a suggestion, _"Maybe Master Loki would benefit from a snack. Although his preliminary readings show that he is slightly heavier than a human of his statue, his appearance suggests that he is in dire need of nutrition."_

"You're a genius, JARVIS."

_"I aim to please, Sir."_

"Maybe we should ask Bruce to …" Drifting off mid-sentence, Tony remembered that he most definitely was not one of Bruce's favourite people at the moment. Rubbing his chest, the engineer walked towards the kitchen. He looked at little lost when he saw the cupcakes. Making them seemed like a lifetime ago. Carefully he put them aside and looked a little crestfallen, when he prepared one of his special peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Loki looked as if he could do with a little fat and sugar.

The god did his very best not to flinch from his new master. Such a reaction often ended in punishment, since it suggested the slave had a mind – as well as likes and dislikes – of his own and that was rarely encouraged. He surely had already aggravated Tony Stark with his unprompted speech. All he could do at the moment was wait for his first punishment and not make it worse. Waiting for an earned penalty was sometimes worse than the punishment itself. His new master clearly was aware of that, because the retribution for Loki touching him and speaking without being prompted was still pending.

The human had abandoned his place on the couch once the woman had left. Undoubtedly he was about to put on his armour to take advantage of Loki's helplessness. Would Stark throw him out of a window? A suitable revenge, Loki had to give him that, and with the traces of magic not supressed by the collar, the god was reasonably sure that he could protect his unborn children from harm. He would break every bone in his body, maybe even fracture his skull, but he would survive. In the end that was the only thing that mattered. Resigned to his fate, Loki was confused when an unarmoured hand appeared in his line of sight, offering what seemed to be a square shape of soft bread and a glass of milk.

Why was he offered sustenance? Maybe the torment that was about to come was so draining that his master wanted to strengthen him beforehand. After all, where was the fun in punishing a slave who fainted half way through the torture? Hesitantly, Loki reached for the meal, trying to supress all the horrible possibilities Stark could choose from to execute his revenge.

~ ᗯ ~

After the battle of New York, Tony had started repairing his tower – mostly by himself, because he had not wanted to hire someone who could do something for all the people out there who had lost their homes. Bruce had been the first to move in since he had no home in the States. The two of them had worked together to wrestle a sink and some pluming into submission before meeting Steve at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters later the same day. The Captain had carried a dirty duffle bag on his shoulder, ready to move into the base because his apartment had fallen victim to the Chitauri attack.

The man had been reluctant to accept Tony's offer of a new home. Apparently he didn't want to add to the burden of the engineer who was currently repairing his tower all on his own. Only Bruce's suggestion for it to be a temporary arrangement, with Steve helping them with the repairs while taking the guest room on his future floor, had convinced the man to give it a try. The super soldier had a tiny flat in DC – he lived there on occasion – but other than that it had become a permanent arrangement.

When Natasha and Clint had appeared on the common floor out of the blue, nobody had mentioned it. Tony had already had another floor equipped for their needs and Stark Tower had become Avengers Tower over night. Even Thor had his own floor, with wide rooms and high ceilings, though he rarely used it.

Now, entering Steve and Bruce's floor, Pepper drank in the soothing environment where light green and warm brown colours dominated. Potted plants stood in every corner and on nearly every shelf. The furniture was laid back and simple. A little out of their time, both on Bruce and Steve's insistence, but of top quality. Tony would never approve of anything less than the best for his fellow Avengers.

The two of them currently lingered in the living room. Bruce sat on the couch, forcing back a transformation with even breaths. Steve stood at the window, half hidden behind a huge plant that qualified more as a small tree than an actual potted plant. Softly Pepper asked, "May I come in?"

She could have had JARVIS announce her arrival, giving Steve and Bruce a chance to shut her out. But she had learned that even superheroes had a harder time saying 'no' to her face than having an AI relay the message. When nobody acknowledged her, Pepper simply entered and took an armchair halfway between them.

For several minutes nobody said a word, until Bruce exhaled, exhausted. "Can you imagine Tory forcing himself on somebody? On Loki of all people?"

"No, can you?" Finally, they were getting somewhere. Tony had explicitly told her not to tell anybody the truth. He had not, however, forbidden her to ask questions.

Steve looked surprised at the utter conviction in her voice. Hesitantly, he approached. "What are you trying to say, Pepper?"

"Nothing, Steve." She looked at him. "I was merely asking a question. Just like Bruce did." Not allowing either of them to interrupt her, she continued in a business-like manner. "But while we are at it, I think I should tell you that Tony decided to go public with a slightly modified version of the story our recently moved in God of Lies told his father. Just a fair warning, because the press will surely approach the two of you. Better think of an official statement sooner rather than later."

Both men paled and exchanged worried looks when they caught up on what Pepper was implying.

Good, she thought grimly. These people called themselves Tony's friends? They really should have more faith in him! To make her opinion known, she added, "After all, Tony's the typical billionaire-playboy-philanthropist, the public should not have trouble buying him impregnating a god from another realm."

Their guilty consciences were written all over their faces when Pepper rose and approached the elevator.

"Pepper?" Steve's request was nearly too quiet for her to hear. So she hesitated for a heartbeat before turning around. "Thank you, for …"

"For warning us about this. We will do our best to support Tony's decision." Bruce picked up the cue when words seemed to desert his room-mate. "We will make sure to go with whatever story he decides upon."

Finally Pepper allowed herself a small smile. "I would not have expected anything less from you."

As soon as the doors closed behind her, Bruce and Steve looked at each other.

"We fucked up." Steve mumbled. His swearing was an indicator of his distress. No matter how long he had lived in this century, the manners drilled into him during his youth still held, most of the time.

"Royally." Bruce agreed. "Come on, let's see if there is anything we can do to apologize."

"Do you really think that Tony's in any mood to listen to us right now?"

"No," the doctor shook his head. "But with a divine, malnourished and abused slave, who – as per Tony's decision – is carrying his children, he's is way in over his head. So no matter how little Tony likes us at the moment, he still needs our help."

"Oh my god," Steve groaned.

Worriedly, Bruce looked at the man who had even managed to get Hulk under control. A worried Steve Rodgers didn't sit well with either him or the Other Guy. "What is it?"

"Just wait until Fury hears about this."

~ ᗯ ~

At the same time on the common floor, Loki waited for the inevitable punishment to begin. He had accepted the offered meal and a few moments after wolfing it down, he realized that the meal itself was the sentence. What a cruel torment Stark had chosen. Deciding to let Loki participate in his own demise was not something the god would have anticipated. The bread had been so soft and the filling rich and savoury with a sweet and sour aftertaste. Loki hadn't been able to hold back after the first bite. Had practically inhaled the meal and the milk that had accompanied it. Yet salvation from the hunger cramps, he had learned to accept as an inevitable part of his new position, had only lasted a few moments. Then he had started to feel sick.

He tried to breathe through the stomach ache that started to wretch his entire frame. The fallen god doubted that his situation would improve, should he be sick all over Stark's carpeted floor. After a few minutes however, he realized the futility of his attempts. With the last of his strength he tried to crawl away from the white sofa. Regrettably he did not even make it to the balcony. Half way to it, Loki became violently ill all over the marble floor. He heard the hastened steps of his master, but was too weak to even curl into himself and protect his womb.

Loki did not expect a slightly callused hand to gently pull back his hair. Nor a strong arm wrapping around him from behind, supporting his body, so he would not tumble into the mess he had just made. For the first time in centuries, someone was touching him not with selfish intent, but careful and comforting and the fallen god, at the end of his strength, allowed it. He even leaned into it for a few, blessed seconds.

Tony, putting away the baking to occupy his hands, had not even looked at Loki, who had seemed to swallow down his first decent meal in more or less a single bite. After everything the god must have been through, he surely deserved a little privacy. That's why Loki's retching hit Tony so unexpectedly. Familiar with alcohol induced sickness, the human was beside his god in a heartbeat. He watched huge chunks of sandwich hit the floor, but Loki's heaving continued long after, until he only gagged on bile. Tony tried to ease him with whispered words of comfort, but nothing seemed to reach the God of Mischief. When Loki finally sank into his arms, Tony did not know what to do, except to hold on to his new houseguest tightly to show him that he was not alone.

After a few moments, the god returned to his senses. He scrambled away from Tony's lap frantically and apologized over and over for the mess he had made. Though Tony tried to keep him from it, Loki pulled his linen tunica over his head to mop up his vomit. Helpless, Tony tried to reach for his hands to calm him down. But nothing seemed to penetrate the shell of rising panic. Nothing but Captain America.

"It's alright, we will deal with this." Strong hands closed around theirs and when Tony looked up he found Steve crouched down in front of them. A strangled breath made Tony turn around, catching Bruce's gaze. His friend looked horrified at the overlapping scars and wounds on Loki's back. Blinking a few times to come back to himself, the doctor looked up, prompting softy, "I will prepare something he will be able to stomach and while Steve cleans up the floor, you should clean up Loki so that I can have a look at him later?"

Looking at each other, the three men were well aware of all the things that remained unspoken. But it was alright. They were family, a strange bunch of superheroes with a shitload of baggage that managed to save the world or at least New York on a regular basis, but most importantly, family. And family made mistakes. They fought. But in the end they always had each other's backs. With a relieved exhale, Tony nodded and tried to help Loki to his feet but ended up pulling him into his lap again, because he was still shaking like a leaf.

Bruce started to busy himself in the kitchen. "I … I will put the cupcakes and the frosting into the fridge. If you want some … you know … later."

Grateful for the brief reprise from the serious topic, Tony suggested "Maybe we should put them in the freezer."

Steve agreed with him. "Yes, we might need them when Clint and Natasha come home."

Two down, two to go, Tony thought. Their favourite couple of spies would not take Tony's new conquest lightly. As things were, the best they could hope for, was Loki surviving first contact. Though an arrow through the eye did not seem the worst he had suffered these last years.

~ ᗯ ~

Loki hesitated when a glass with an amber liquid that smelled suspiciously like honey, appeared in front of him. Looking at his master, he realized that he once again nearly sat on the human's lap. But he was too confused, too frightened, and far too weak to do something about it. Another reason for not creating some distance was his master's hand on his back. Loki preferred the absent minded petting to the beating he undoubtedly deserved for soiling the floor. Better not draw too much attention to himself. Still, he could not go through this kind of punishment a second time, so he quietly pleaded, "Please, not again. I know I spoke out of term and I soiled your floor, but I have not eaten in days. Don't make me throw up again, the little ones need sustenance."

"You think that …?" Tony startled and Loki couldn't help but cower into himself when the hand on his back curled into a fist. "What the fuck is wrong with these people!?"

His exasperated breakout was interrupted by a sharp, "Tony!" from the Captain to draw his attention. Followed by a much calmer, "You are frightening him."

Of course an angry master frightened his slave. Anger needed an outlet. What better way to vent against something that was worthless anyway? So Loki was uncertain what to make of his master's soft voice, "You're right, Cap. Sorry. Come on, Reindeer Games. Let's get you into a shower." Helpless to resist the gentle coaxing, Loki dared to look up. After a moment, he finally touched the glass the host of the green rage monster had presented to him when his master brought it to his lips.

"That's just water and honey." Banner assured him.

"It will help with your sore throat." Tony added, "The sandwich was a mistake. I did not think about you not being able to stomach it. I should have thought about that." With a few more encouraging gestures, Tony got Loki to take small sips from the liquid, even when the sweet taste prompted the starved god to drain it all in one go. He barely touched the glass, only steadied it because he had learned the hard way that a slave never took from the hands of his master without being ordered to do so. To claim something for himself was considered disrespectful. In his current situation, hungry and in pain, Loki knew that he couldn't risk it.

With his first mistress, he had put a lot of time and effort into pushing her buttons. It had been pathetic, but that way he at least had known that punishment was waiting for him. Things had been different with his second master. The dark elf had not needed an excuse to drag Loki into his dungeon and between torture and rape, Loki had felt himself slipping away more and more. His mind had fled his body. The only way to make sure that he would come out sane once his year in Svartalfheim ended. He still was not sure if he had succeeded. Loki had noticed the seed that was planted within him the moment it happened. It had been his master's plan to impregnate him all along. A bastard child from an Asgardian god would have made a fine prize for the dark elf. But Loki had captured the seed with his magic. Had managed to keep it from growing. At least until the very last month in that realm. At some point the tortures had been too vicious, the rapes too frequent and Loki had needed all of his magic to stay alive.

Knowing that neither he nor his children would survive another year, should they force him to stay, Loki had revealed his pregnancy to the Allfather but had spun a lie about the children's sire. His plan had worked, at least insofar as he was now kneeling in front of the Man of Iron, as his brother called his comrade in arms, accepting a drink from his hands. Once the glass was empty, Loki once more sagged, surprised that his master still made an effort to hold him up. Maybe the first meal really had been a mistake and not meant to hurt him.

Nearly his entire life, Loki had learned that hope inevitable led to disappointment and heartache. Better not to hope and take things one day at a time. In the end the little ones were the only thing that mattered. All Loki needed to survive was the certainty that Tony Stark had no ill intentions towards his offspring. He had officially accepted parentage for no good reason, so the children's chances were good. When no cramps began and he started to feel slightly better, Loki allowed himself to relax a fraction, taking this as proof that he had made the right decision. It was not as if he could do anything about it now anyway.

Once Tony was reasonably sure that Loki was able to hold his honey laced water, he prompted the god to get on his feet. "Come on, Bambi Eyes, let's get you cleaned up so Bruce can take a proper look at you."

Apparently that had been the wrong thing to say, Tony discovered. Because barely around the corner and out of sight from the other Avengers, Loki sank to his knees and begged anxiously, "Please, master, don't substitute me to the dealings of the green behemoth. I'm not sure that I am strong enough to protect my … our children from his wrath at the moment."

"What? Hell, no! Get up for heaven's sake. That's not what this is about. Bruce, Dr. Banner is a doctor. Granted, he is not **that** kind of doctor, but he will be able to man the scanners to see how you are doing."

~ ᗯ ~

Even when he spoke these words, Tony felt the irreality of the situation catch up with him. Here Loki was, a former enemy, the guy who had tried to kill him by throwing him out of a window, clutching his belly and trembling on his knees. A tiny part of Tony wanted to remember the anger and the fear he had felt during the battle, during falling out of his window until the suit had closed around him. But all he could do was take pity on the tormented creature before him. Tony knew the headcount of the battle of New York. Still, it was nothing to the amount of lives Tony's held himself accountable for, since his weapons had been used by terrorists against American people. So really, who was he to judge? Gently he guided Loki into the bathroom, filling the tub with warm water, because his dark-haired good barely seemed strong enough to keep kneeling without tumbling over.

When the bathroom started to fill with steam, Loki instinctively pulled away from the heat. Stark was different. He cared! But no matter how often the fallen god tried to assure himself, memories of blistered and burned skin pushed to the forefront of his mind. This water was not overly hot, but it would hurt him still. Did he dare to mention that? The water would cool soon enough. Were a few minutes of discomfort worth aggravating his master?

Loki was too lost in his own thoughts to realise that Tony noticed his reaction. Concerned the human took in the god's retreat from the tub. Then he berated himself inwardly. Of course, how stupid was he? With everything that had happened these last few hours, Tony felt as if his brain was not firing from all cylinders. First he gave a starved man peanut butter and now he tried to burn a frost giant? Not that he would ever admit to knowing that. Thor had come clean about what had happened in Mexico during his first visit to earth on their third baking Thursday. Steve had been the first to share his history and surprisingly Clint had been the second. The horrible deeds Loki had forced upon him had spilled out of him like pus from a wound; allowing it to finally start healing. Thor had shared what he perceived as his greatest failure. The unspoken agreement that they would never, ever share with anybody what they told each other in the kitchen had been born that day.

So yes, Tony knew about Loki's true nature. Not that he or any other Avenger cared about it. Loki turned blue and got really cold. Bruce turned green and levelled entire quarters when he had a bad day. Big deal. But they all had understood that for the Aesir, the Frost Giants equalled the boogie men. The big, bad enemies, hated and feared alike. No wonder Loki had gone destructive on his family's asses, when he had found out. Even humans knew that you had to tell your child it was adopted. To keep something like that from your son for several centuries had to end badly. Not to mention being from an enemy race.

So Tony added a generous amount of cold water and reached for the scented oils. They would be easier on the god's tormented skin, than the bathing salts Pepper preferred. "So what do you think: Lavender of Camomile?"

"Whatever my master deems suitable."

The answer came so fast that Tony seriously doubted, that Loki had even understood the question, much less had thought about his preferences. In had been the perfect answer, all humble, polite and submissive. Tony hated it! Mankind in general and Tony in particular had decided that they didn't do slaves, or prisoners of war. To hell with these Asgardians and their expectations. The engineer took his time, remaining on his knees in front of the tub, testing the water temperature, holding out the two scented bottles to his new housemate. Patiently he waited for Loki to look up at him, taking the oils for inspection. Loki needed time and quite a lot of it. With trembling fingers he reached for the bottles, smelling both of them before he gingerly chose one.

It was a trick. It had to be, Loki thought, when Stark asked about his preferences in something as mundane as scented oil. Yet when he smelled the two products, he suspected the reason behind the request. One of them, the dark oil, rose immediately to Loki's head, making him feel nauseated and dizzy. The other scent was lain back and fairly pleasant. For several moments the god debated with himself if he should reveal his true liking. Maybe the human wanted to know what he preferred so that he could dangle it in front of him like a price to be won. Something he could promise as a reward should Loki show himself compliant and servile, two things he had failed at spectacularly so far, despite his best intentions. But maybe, just maybe, this was not a cruel game.

If Tony Stark was different Loki could put him to the test right now. He would survive a hot bath in the unpleasant smell without unharmed. But maybe …

"Camomile it is," Tony smiled, taking the offered bottle, pouring a generous amount into the tub. "Personally I can't stand the scent of Lavender either, but who knows, you could have liked it." The human rose from the floor, offering his hand to help Loki up. "Now go undress and hop in. I will hunt you down some clothes in the meantime. Just relax and take your time. But don't fall asleep. I can't have you drown on your first day."

Modesty had long since been trained out of Loki, so he undressed without hesitation. Still, he longingly looked at his pants and shoes when Stark took them. Of course it was the master's choice what his slave wore, or didn't wear. His mistress had clad him in translucent silk or adorned his naked form with all kinds of jewellery but little else. His second master had decided that he needed nothing but his collar and shackles on many occasions. Though Loki was rarely cold, the dark elf's dungeon had leeched every last warmth from his body. In his true form, cold stone would have mattered little, but the slave could not bring himself to shift back to his despised nature. Better to suffer from the cold than to prove to everybody that he really was the monster they all took him for.

Lost in these horrible memories, Loki had not registered the scent or the temperature of the water he had sunken into. Only now did he notice that the water was tepid at best, and that the faint smell of what Stark had called 'Camomile' filled the air. And Loki was alone. For the first time since his punishment had begun Loki was unrestricted, unharmed, and alone. His master had left him to his bath in good faith that he would follow his simple instruction to clean himself. As if it was a tedious task instead of a reward.

It was that very moment that the God of Lies and Mischief, the one they called Trickster and Silvertongue, realized that he would not come out of this on top. What masters before Stark had tried to achieve with torture and abuse, the Man of Iron would easily accomplish with gentleness and care. Loki knew that sooner rather than later he would do everything Stark desired. Not for the sake of his children, or to get a chance to escape all this, but for himself. Everything in his meagre powers would concentrate on keeping the feeling his new master so easily woke in him: that what he wanted, him being alright, actually mattered. Even if it was only in such small things as bathing oil.

Loki did not notice the tears streaming down his cheeks until he had a hard time making out the colourful bottles on the edge of the tub. Still, he could not fight them. Centuries of ignorance and the belief that he was not good enough, would never be no matter how hard he tried, crashed down on him. And all because of the scent of Camomile.

~ ᗯ ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will do my best to post regularly once a week. But my job in the office, my ten year old son and my husband don't always allow me to keep a regular schedule. I chose update-intervals that allow me to read, write and edit comfortably. I know a week is kind of a stretch. I hope you will enjoy this story nevertheless.  
> Have a lovely weekend.


	3. Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki is not used to being cared for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I have the awesomenest betareader with trulywished (shut up that's totally a word!), AND tomorrow is a bank-holiday in Austria, I decided to post the next chapter.
> 
> Also: holy hell was Age of Ultron an awesome movie or what? I think I liked the first part a little better but oh my god! Jarvis was brilliant and I loved Thor so very much ... and Clint, and Natasha and Tony and Bruce and ... well, I don't want to spoiler but DID YOU SEE IT? If not: Read this and then have an evening at the cinema. It is so worth it!

"I will never come out of this on top." Tony groaned, collapsing on the sofa. He had gathered some sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt from his wardrobe that were slightly too big for him and was now clutching the black and green fabrics to his chest. When approaching the bathroom, in a flash of genius he had asked JARVIS for a video-feed so that he would not interrupt any private moments. The sobbing god in his tub had shaken him. Unsure how to deal with this – therapy certainly hasn't helped with that – Tony had retreated to the living room. He had only shown the presence of mind to direct his AI to tell him should Loki need help. Well, help with something beyond an emotional breakdown.

"Honestly, guys." Tony looked up at Steve who was setting the table and Bruce who were currently opening take-out containers and heated some chicken soup. "I have a crying god in my bathroom and don't even know what I did to screw up this time."

Bruce, clearly versed in these kinds of situations, no matter that he always insisted that he was not that kind of doctor, looked at the ceiling and asked, "JARVIS, does Loki appear to be in any kind of pain? Or is he sick again?"

 _"No, Master Banner. In fact Master Loki's temperature has sunken by two degrees and his heart rate indicates that he is much more relaxed now than he was during his arrival."_ The AI helpfully supplied. _"Nevertheless, I would suggest an increased intake of liquid, since his loss of fluids might result in a lack of electrolytes. Master Loki clearly should rehydrate once his emotions are back under control."_

"When did you become a nurse?" Tony asked, slightly irritated, mostly because Loki crying for an extended amount of time worried him.

 _"In your service, Sir, I learned to adopt many roles."_ JARVIS replied drily.

"No sass, JARVIS, otherwise I will lend you to the local arcade for you to direct their pinball-machines."

 _"I would never, Sir."_ Concluded the bickering between man and machine.

Smiling, because such squabbling was a common occurrence, Bruce still returned to the topic at hand. "Did you consider for one moment, that Loki could be relieved?"

When Tony grimaced, Steve sat down beside him. "Try to look at all this from his point of view. Though we can only speculate what Loki had been through, I think we can agree that it had been hell. Ever since he came here, you went along with the l… story he provided, saved him from a fate of negligence at best, torture at worst and helped him. You removed his shackles, fed him, and now you are offering privacy and a relaxing bath. All in all, I would say you are doing pretty well."

~ ᗯ ~

They sat together in silence after that, because one thing had not changed: Tony still didn't know how to take a compliment. JARVIS interrupted them by suggesting, _"Sirs, maybe Master Loki would benefit from a meal before you allow him further rest."_

"We are not 'allowing' him anything! He's not a …" Tony started, before his brain caught up with his mouth. "What do you mean by 'further rest', JARVIS?"

_"My surveillance shows that Master Loki has fallen asleep."_

Cursing Tony rose. "You need to tell me these things before they happen. Loki could drown!"

_"Apologies, Sir, but clairvoyance is not part of my programming. However, my monitoring of the bathroom indicates that Master Loki's position is stable."_

"This might be the first peaceful rest he had in quite some time," Tony pondered.

Bruce reminded him, "But he has to be starving, and sooner or later the water will get too cold, even for his comfort."

Offering the clothes back to Tony, Steve nudged the engineer. "Go and get him. You can show him one of your luxurious guestrooms once he's eaten his fill."

~ ᗯ ~

For one second, really only one second, Loki had allowed his eyes to close. Yet he must have drifted off, because he surely was dreaming. A warm hand caressed his head and when he leaned into it, he could hear a soft voice. "Come on, sleepy head. You can't rest in my tub."

Loki needed a few seconds, but sooner than he liked, yet definitely later than needed, reality caught up with him. Lazing around had not been his task, so Loki tried to rise from the bath as fast as possible. Though his master was offering a hand, the god did not want to push his luck. Regrettably the scented oil made the bath slippery, so Loki lost his footing and tumbled back into the water, hitting his head on the edge of the tub. Dizziness assaulted him and when he submerged and he lost his orientation. Bad memories from his mistress had him drowning in panic.

At first she had been quite generous. Had cleaned him with the softest soaps and tended to his skin with the sweetest creams. However, as thanks for this 'generosity' she had expected services Loki had not been willing to perform. The scornful woman had surprised him with the various forms of torture she could derive from a cloth and a mug of water. Now he felt like he was back in her rooms, out of breath with no chance to escape, until strong arms reached for him to pull him out of the water. Desperately he held on to them with every ounce of strength he had left.

As soon as Loki lost his footing, Tony had tried to reach for him, but the thrashing of the panicking god made that nearly impossible. After a heartbeat the man gave up on the idea of a gentle handling and dragged Loki out of the bath by the first limb he could get a grip on. Luckily the god was running on instinct, because as soon as his head was above water, he reached for Tony and clung to him like Dum-E to his fire extinguisher. That made it considerably easier for the human to pull him from the bath. Once safe on the floor, he reached for a towel to cover Loki, who was trembling in his arms. Whispering assurances that everything was alright and that Loki was safe, Tony kept one arm around the god who clung to him for dear life, while he tried to rub him dry with the other.

Tony could pinpoint the exact moment, when Loki's senses returned to him. The nearly choking grip around his neck lessened and the god stilled in his arms. Oblivious to the proper etiquette in these situations, Tony continued to towel Loki down and once he was satisfied he gently nudged the god, so that he could comb his wet and slightly oily hair. Loki didn’t dare to put up any resistance. A visit to a hairdresser was in order, but that was not a priority right now. Once the god was at least partially groomed, Tony gestured towards the clothes. "Why don't you get dressed while I take care of the towels and the bath?"

When Loki rose after a second, Ton busied himself by placing the wet towel in the hamper and drained the bath. He had promised himself, that he would respect Loki's privacy, but until the god was steady on his feet, Tony elected to hover. The guy had enough wounds as it was, they shouldn't add a concussion to that list, though he feared that it might already be too late.

To say that Loki was confused was a severe understatement. He felt embarrassed that he had clung onto a human like a mere child. But what puzzled him even more was that Stark had let him. Why should a master bother with the emotional wellbeing of a slave? The man had pulled him out of the water. There had been no need to comfort him afterwards. Sooner or later, Loki would have snapped out of his panic, he always did. He probably would even have found the clothes. With his new master's help, his recovery had certainly been faster, but the languid motions of the human told Loki that he had nothing but time. The billionaire did not even seem to notice how long it took the god to dress. Nothing about his new master made any sense and that frightened the god turned slave. Because if Loki couldn't figure out what Tony Stark wanted, how could he supply it in order to keep his master happy?

That was the most important lesson Loki had been forced to learn during these last few years: a slave should must do anything to keep his owner happy. Otherwise he was in for a world of hurt.

~ ᗯ ~

Loki followed the now dripping human out of the bathroom since the man hadn’t bothered to change his clothes after the fallen god had gotten them all wet. He had put on the offered clothes, relief prominent in his features. The fact that he had pulled on the garments indicated that he preferred to cover as much of himself as possible. Well, Tony couldn't really hold that against him.

When they entered the living room, Steve looked at him with surprise. "What happened? You're soaking wet."

Tony more felt than saw – Loki was determined to walk behind him – the god tense. Did he really expect reprimand or punishment for having a panic attack? Sadly the engineer was more than familiar with these, nearly everybody in the tower was. There was no way for the victim to keep them at bay. He knew, he had tried and tried and tried. Not wanting to talk about it, Tony just brushed off the question. "Little accident in the bathroom. I tripped but no imminent flood, so relax, Captain."

Not daring to look at anybody, Loki walked to the table because it was set for a meal. There was no indication which seat belonged to his Master. After brief pondering, the god sank to his knees beside the chair at the head, hands pressed to his stomach to stave off the rumbling that was woken by the delicious smells that wafted over from the kitchen. Stark was different, Loki reminded himself. Neither abusive nor ignorant and he had yet prove himself cruel. So maybe he would give Loki a few scraps from his plate.

"Tony?" Bruce soft voice made the man look up from the bowl he had just filled with the chicken soup his friend had pointed him towards. Following Bruce's line of sight, he noticed Loki not sitting at the table but kneeling beside a chair. For a moment Tony wanted to prompt him to get up and grab a seat. But that could turn out to be problematic. Slaves apparently were not meant to join their Masters at the table. The god had been through enough, he did not need more emotional stress. "Why don't we …," Tony begun, looking around for alternatives to the dining table that stood on the hard, marble floor.

Clearly sensing the direction of Tony's thoughts, Bruce suggested, "What about a movie? It's been a long day for all of us."

Easily picking up on the problem, Steve gave a faux sigh and relented, "Alright, we can eat in front of the TV, but only this once."

Tony grinned at that concession and couldn't help himself to rub it in a little. "Thanks, dad, I promise to eat all my greens and do my homework afterwards."

Despite everything, Steve had to grin at that teasing. Was it really so bad to insist on proper table manners? They had to adapt to their surroundings more often than not, but when at home, was it really too much to ask to sit at a table during mealtimes?

Too drained to keep up with everything that was going on around him, a usually unforgivable negligence, Loki looked up questioningly when Captain America nudged him while gathering the cutlery he had just lain out. Seeking his master, he found the human snuggling into the corner of the couch with a steaming bowl in his hands. Obediently, Loki walked over and folded into himself on the soft carpet beside Stark, leaning against the sofa. He could hear a strained intake of breath, but did not dare to look up. The tension in the room had risen during his relocation. For a brief moment Loki wondered if Dr. Banner and the Captain would take care of his punishment. He didn't know what he had done to upset them, maybe he should have stayed on his knees, but they would tell him eventually. Yet when, after a few moments where everyone had been busy finding a comfortable position, nothing happened, he relaxed slightly. Next thing he knew was Stark pushing the hot bowl into his hands, ordering him to, "Eat."

The first bite revealed the dish to be delicious and warm and Loki hastened to shove down a second and third and fourth spoonful in quick succession. He would have continued wolfing down the meal, had the human who carried the green rage-monster not stilled his hand. For a second, Loki pulled back, snarling at the so called doctor to defend the treat his master had offered. But the next moment he realized that such disrespectful behaviour had been a bad idea. Yet he had not had a proper meal in such a long time so his instincts had overwhelmed his intellect. His master's hand on his shoulder made him freeze. A harsh reminder of his position with these people was inevitable, but all Stark said was, "Bruce is right, you are going to make yourself sick again."

The whimper that escaped Loki was truly pathetic and he abhorred the noise as soon as he made it. Still the god clutched the bowl tighter to his chest. He could not give up his first meal, no matter how much his master wanted him to, his hands simply refused to cooperate. Looking at Stark pleading, he tried to convey his pitiful need without speaking out of term again. Being the genius Loki's big brother had painted him, the human seemed able to understand, because assured him, "Oh no, Bambi Eyes, don't look at me like that. Nobody will take your food away. Bruce just wants you to slow down. You don't want to throw up again, do you?"

Since this was actually a question, Loki answered subdued, "No, Master, I don't."

"The name's Tony."

"No, Master Tony, I don't want to throw up again. May I … may I continue my meal now? Please?"

When the man sighed somewhat unhappy but nodded, Loki returned to his bowl. It was even better now that he actually took the time to taste it. When only a few vegetables and a tiny chunk of meat was left, the doctor once again tried to take the bowl from him. And though Loki would have loved to savour even this small, last bite, he told himself not to be greedy and stupid. He had enjoyed the meal, despite the unfamiliar textures and flavours. His stomach was not rumbling any longer and if he showed himself compliant, maybe they would be so generous as to allow him another bowl tomorrow.

With a humble, "Thank you for the meal, Master Banner," he handed over the dish. Usually he would not even think about talking to a friend of his master, only go with what was explicitly demanded of him. But Loki had noticed that everybody had a different meal. The doctor clearly had made the effort of providing something that suited the god's fragile stomach. He did not want to appear ungrateful.

"It's Bruce, Loki, and you are welcome."

The way they spoke to him, addressed him by his name and not a degrading term – or in Stark's case an incomprehensible endearment – bewildered Loki. Having only experienced humiliation, being reduced to a mere object to use and discard when he had lost his appeal, he could not repress the warmth that started to glow in his belly. This was dangerous. This was hope. Hope that not only Stark was different but his companions as well.

As if to prove him right, his bowl reappeared in front of his face, filled to the brim once again. Looking up, the fallen god met a smiling face of the good doctor and when Stark nudged him in encouragement, he reached for it with a quiet sound of gratitude. Steve Rogers made him look up again. The Captain was offering little pieces of bread. When Loki reluctantly held out his bowl in exchange, the blond man shook his head. "No, you clearly need all the food you can get. Try one of these with your soup. They’re good."

This way danger lay. Taking it would mean that Loki thought that his master was not providing all he deserved, that he was entitled to get more. It was an unspoken criticism everybody would understand. Criticising ones master when sitting at his feet was a stupid way of challenging him. Stark could be amused … or angry. He could punish Loki for it or worse, he could transfer him to Steve or somebody else, because he did not want a slave that was ungrateful. Rightfully so, because Stark had done more for him in the last few hours than his last master in the past two months. Loki had chosen Stark for a reason. He could not think about what Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner or the assassins would do with him. Probably set him free and then Loki would be forced back to Asgard where they would take his children away from him. Not wanting to go there, Loki pushed back the bread. "Thank you, Captain, but Master provides all I need."

The three humans on the couch shared a puzzled look. That had sounded slightly sympathetic, even loyal to Tony. Confused the engineer scrutinized Loki while Steve leaned back against his end of the couch, folding his hands behind his neck. "Pretty well so far, just like I said." And didn't that sound suspiciously like Tony when he teased Steve about eating at the coffee table? Tony didn't like it. He should monopolize cheekiness. That's how he rolled.

Grumbling, because treating a person halfway decent surely was no reason for a compliment, Tony shot back. "Give me some of these damn duck balls. You're going to swallow them whole anyway, not savour them like they deserve!"

Laughing, the blond man pushed the container towards him and returned his attention to the screen. Aware that Bruce was watching him with approval as well, Tony chose to ignore both of his friends, stuffing an entire duck ball into his mouth. But once the attention of everybody was back on the movie, he handed a piece of bread over to Loki who took it without hesitation. When Bruce and Steve grinned openly, the engineer only grumbled, "Concentrate on the movie, damn it. That's a classic!"

~ ᗯ ~

After his second helping and several small, round pieces of bread his master absent-mindedly supplied, the doctor reached for Loki's bowl again, asking if he was hungry still. Past experience told the slave to go for it. It was very rare to be offered food. But his body protested the idea. Torn he looked at his master. Stark however only shrugged. "If you are still hungry go for it. Bruce ordered it for you after all."

After a heartbeat Loki dared to suggest, "Maybe I could save it for tomorrow? With your permission?"

His master looked at him at that suggestion, face unreadable and Loki immediately started to worry. He had been too bold to assume that he would receive food tomorrow, despite having eaten his fill today? In a quietly he back-pedalled. "Or not. I am sure this meal will satisfy me for quite some time …"

"Bruce?" The man switched his attention without even bothering to reply. "On your floor you have this … thing. Maybe you and Steve could get it?"

"Tea?" Bruce teased, slightly amused.

But Steve took pity on Tony and prompted Bruce to get up. "We could make some hot chocolate."

At Tony's enthusiastic nod both left.

~ ᗯ ~

Loki dreaded to be alone with his master, sure that he had offered some kind of offence – again – and would finally be punished. But Stark addressed him quite calmly, "Listen Loki, I know that this has to be hard for you and I will do my best to keep my promise I made to this jerks who brought you here, since it had undoubtedly already reached the ears of your daddy dearest. Not that I am the most responsible person to begin with, but … you know … you are pregnant. With my child. So … we are kind of in this together."

Relieved to hear Tony Stark claim Loki's children at last, surely he would do his best to protect them henceforth, the fallen god tried to make this entire situation as easy as possible on the human. The smaller the responsibilities, the smaller his chance to irritate Stark by interrupting his routine. "There is nothing a master is bound to provide for a slave than what is keeping him alive. If the slave deserves it of course."

Raising his eyebrows, Tony remarked drily. "We don't do slavery on Earth. You know that, right?"

"Pardon?"

"You came here for a reason, Loki. You must have been pretty desperate to seek help with your enemies."

The god blanched at that point, dreading what would happen next.

"And I am willing to help you. You and your … our children. It won't be easy, because god knows neither of us has the best reputation. But there is one thing I need from you, in order to make this work."

"And what might that be?" The god asked reluctantly. He really had a hard time wrapping his head around the concept that he was here, accepted as a slave into a society that didn't do slavery. He should have thought of that. Why hadn't he thought of that? This would all end badly!

"The truth, Loki. I won't starve you, or harm you, at least not intentionally. But I can't protect you or the babies if you lie to me. Even about something as insignificant as dinner."

Loki dared to rise from the floor without permission at that point, stepping towards the windows to look at a town he had had his hand in destroying once. But true to his word, Stark neither reprimanded nor punished him. This was all too good to be true. Nobody was selfless and caring. With the frozen soldier perhaps as the only exception. Still, if there was even the most remote chance for Stark to be honest then … Loki leaned his head against the cold glass. He couldn't afford not to take this chance. The human might change his mind, in a year, a month or even a day. But for the mere possibility that his children would not only be safe but truly cared for, Loki had to try. Sadly he was not sure that he could comply. Quietly he answered, "I don't … I am not sure if I am capable of telling the truth all the time." Centuries of lying had to leave their mark.

Studying the dark-haired male from the couch, Tony understood what a huge favour he had just asked from the God of Lies. "Maybe we could tone it down a notch." He suggested, approaching the window-front where the god instinctively pulled back, dropping his eyes to the floor again. "The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth for twenty-four hours. And only when I am the one asking. Do you think you could manage that?"

"A mere day?" Loki wondered incredulous.

But Tony only shrugged. "Why not, let's start with that and work our way up. As an added bonus, you can make one request at the end of each day and I will grant it, given it is a sensible one. I can't free you for obvious reasons and I draw a line at buying small countries!"

No lies for a single day and he could make a wish. They would not starve. He could dare to ask for clothes if his master chose to take these away. The request did not even have to be big to make his life infinitely better. Holding out his hand, daring to hope, Loki decided. "Agreed."

~ ᗯ ~


	4. Watchful Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is always someone watching Loki.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just one thing before you start: There are at least four more chapters coming since they are already written on my computer and probably two more in my booklet. So don't worry too much ;).

With a hand shake Tony and Loki sealed their deal. Before the engineer could ask his first question, Loki pulled back and adopted a submissive stance once again while reminding him out loud, "Heimdal must not know!".

Tony looked around, because at this point he was not above expecting another Norse god in his living room. "The guy who guards your rainbow bridge?"

Nodding before shaking his head, Loki elaborated. "Heimdall can watch any realm at any given time. If he senses that something is amiss with my punishment, they will come for me and bring me back to Asgard."

"Kind of like JARVIS 2000.0." Tony quipped, having his AI answer, _"Master Heimdall surely would need to be omnipotent if he had to keep up with several individuals of your calibre, Sir."_

"I will have you know that I am quite unique," Tony grinned, and once again JARVIS was not short of a reply, _"And thank you for that. The computing capacity of this entire planet would not be enough to keep up with several individuals of your … brilliance."_

Laughing, the genius reprimanded, "Don't think that I didn't notice what you were doing there, JARVIS. But flattery will get you everywhere. What do you want?"

Hearing the disembodied voice, Loki had curled into himself again, worried about another all-seeing eye to judge him.

JARVIS requested, _"An introduction to Master Loki, Sir. He seems quite distressed because of our conversation."_

"Sure, Loki, JARVIS, JARVIS, Loki, introduction complete. What are you doing on the floor again?" Tony had turned towards one of the cameras while talking to his AI. He had never lost that habit completely since he had created the first drafts of this program in his dorm at MIT. The god seemed agitated, if the tension in his shoulders was anything to go by. Unsure as to why, Tony stepped a little closer and gently placed a hand on Loki's shoulder. He could feel the god lean into the unexpected contact for a second, before he stiffed again, obviously reminding himself that this was not allowed. When was the last time someone had hugged this guy?

Usually Thor was brash and boisterous and overly affectionate but Loki acted like no one had come in non-violent contact with him for centuries. His first instinct was always to savour each gentle touch to the fullest before his mind caught up and dictated caution. Tony suspected that these miniscule slips would not even happen if the god was at full strength. Trying to test this theory, he did call himself a scientist on occasion, Tony stepped up to the god so that he was within easy touching distance. After a moment's hesitation, he started to card his fingers through Loki's hair. For a heartbeat the god tensed up, but then he tentatively leaned in.

They stood like this for several moments, neither daring to do something to shatter the fragile moment. After a while Loki promised quietly, "I will be good, even for Master Jarvis."

He pulled back when Tony chuckled. "Loki, JARVIS is not a 'he', he's an 'it'. JARVIS is a computer, he controls the building; all of my buildings in fact. He is everywhere at any given time, connected to all the electronics in the tower. If a machine is plugged in or capable of Wi-Fi, JARVIS can control it."

So that was the reason for Stark's easy and generous behaviour! He had a surveillance system in place that would inform him of every slip. In the past, his master and mistress but especially the guards in Asgard had allowed him at least a few moments to himself each day. Now even that fraction of privacy was gone. The god wanted to mourn this illusion of freedom, wanted to doubt his decisions that had led him here. But he could not, would not do that. Twenty-four-hour supervision was but a small price to pay for the safety of his children. It was alright, he would learn to adjust, he was quite adaptable when the situation called for it. Constant scrutiny and the punishments that would inevitably follow seemed nothing compared to the torment he had suffered in the past because of the moods of one person.

Stark was different. Loki knew a liar and his master's words held no deceit. Food, clothes, no 'spur-of-the-moment' abuse. If all these promises were true, this place would turn out the benediction Loki had hoped for. He would do anything, accept everything Stark threw at him to be allowed to stay.

"I understand."

"Great, so, whenever you need something, or have a question, just speak up and JARVIS will help you to the best of his abilities."

Confused, because he had not expected something like that, the god lifted his eyes from the floor gazing at his master. "Your machine is willing to serve me?"

Shrugging, Stark held out his hand and they returned to the couch. "Sure, that's what I build him for after all: to help people. Well, mostly me, but since he is connected to all of my systems in all of my places, technically everyone around falls under his care."

Unable to believe this, Loki rephrased his question, "And he would obey even my commands?"

The well-articulated voice of JARVIS spoke up again, much to Loki's confusion, since he had addressed his master. _"It would be my pleasure to be of service, Master Loki. However, I will follow no orders that could bring harm to Sir. To assist and protect him is my first directive after all."_

"Thank … ahm … Thank you, Jarvis." It felt strange to talk to an invisible non-person, but from the small smile in his master's face he seemed to have done right. A sentient machine serving a slave, obviously not only Stark, but everything that surrounded him was different.

A few minutes later the Captain and the Doctor joined them once again, distributing steaming mugs with heavenly smelling contents. Loki couldn't keep himself from looking up at Stark, confirming that he was allowed to drink this. His mistress had taught him never to presume that anything given to him was actually his. She had let him starve for days and then hold bowls of food during mealtime without giving him anything. With her, Loki had learned that even basic necessities like sustenance could be withheld nearly indefinitely. His superior disposition was a curse in that regard. Now he was sitting at his third owner's feet, sipping a small cup of something delicious that was called 'Hot Chocolate'. When Stark's hand found his hair again, he wished for the first time, for a single heartbeat, to stay exactly where he was.

The Allfather's words about his crimes, of being unworthy to be called a prince of Asgard, rose from the back of his mind. He pulled up his knees and wrapped his arms protectively around them. In the end it was just a matter of time until Stark realized what kind of monster, Loki really was and then all of this would come to an end.

~ ᗯ ~

The god's breathing turned erratic the moment Stark closed the door to 'his' room. Slaves didn't get rooms for themselves. They were locked up in sleeping halls with others of their kind. Or they were chained down in cells or dungeons. At first Loki had thought to have finally discovered the purpose his new master had in mind for him. Though their time together had been a lie, Stark was pleasing to the eye. Loki knew that he would be able to satisfy the man's desires. He had been trained for that after all. And though he had detested both of his previous owners for forcing themselves on him, he had faith that nothing similar would come to pass with Stark.

The human had yet to reveal a cruel streak and without being hurt Loki knew that he might even find joy in the act. But then Stark had left him, telling Loki that his own bedroom was right next door and that, though he shared it with someone called 'Pepper' – the Asgardian found this quite a strange name for the woman he thought to be Stark's companion – the god shouldn't hesitate to come if he need something.

Now Loki was alone, alone and unsure because he was not chained by anything but his own promises. The god could not decide if this was some kind of test or if Stark was really willing to provide food, safety and shelter for someone who had invaded his planet and defenestrated him without expecting anything in return. He might be different, but that made no sense at all.

~ ᗯ ~

Tony went straight to his workshop after showing Loki his room. The god had seemed ready to fall asleep on the spot. The engineer, however, was wide awake. For the first time since Thor's arrival with his little brother in tow, he had a moment to himself. Since tinkering always made him feel better, he had JARVIS put on some Black Sabbath full blast and started to dismantle one of his gauntlets to see if he could increase the energy output for better manoeuvring capability after shooting a blast.

What had he been thinking to invite the God of Mischief into his own home? The guy had set an alien army loose on New York! This was madness. Not that Tony was especially bothered by his own irrational spur-of-the-moment decisions. His most brilliant inventions came from those. But what would S.H.I.E.L.D. say about Loki in his custody? The world in general and New York in particular would believe whatever story Pepper would come up with. But Clint and Natasha?

The Black Widow would beat him down and then hold him up for Hawkeye to lance him with arrows. And only if Tony was lucky! Loki … well, they would most likely kill the god for what he had done to Barton, to Coulson, to S.H.I.E.L.D. and Tony could not even hold it against them. Loki would be better off in whatever dungeon his next master would put him in. He deserved to be punished. His actions had killed a lot of people but honestly, so had Tony's. The sole heir of the Stark Empire had been convinced that he was protecting his country by inventing bigger and better weapons. No matter what Obadiah had done, all the lives lost to terrorist attacks that had been committed with his weapons, were on him. The name of Stark came with a bloody legacy, no matter the intentions.

Tony had started to pay ever since Afghanistan. Iron Man was his way to gain redemption. Each life saved was a tiny part of making up for all the suffering his weapons had caused. It was not enough. It would never be enough. Still, Yinsen had been convinced that his life for Tony's had been a good deal. He had been the better man. He should have been the one to make it out alive. No matter how many people Iron Man managed to save, he could never balance this one life. The cataclysm for his own salvation.

Maybe, just maybe, Tony could do the same for Loki. The god was responsible for all kinds of horrors. Except, after everything Thor had told them, the engineer could not even hold all the anger and all the lashing out against him. He had done the same in the past. As a god, Loki just operated on a bigger scale.

Why the hell was Tony even defending that bastard? He had come and run havoc on Earth. Had mind-raped a man Tony now counted as one of his few friends. Surely he deserved to suffer. But maybe that was the point. The reason Tony felt sick at the mere thought of pushing Loki back into whatever torture chamber he had managed to manipulate his way out off, by lying about Tony being the father of his children. The god was suffering, every minute of every day. His entire life had been an endless string of disappointment, humiliation and fear.

~ ᗯ ~

"Tony, why is a sleeping God of Mischief curled up on the threshold of our bedroom?" Pepper's voice was quiet when it came over the com.

"JARVIS, did Loki leave his room to sleep in the corridor?"

_"Yes, Sir."_

"And you didn't think to tell me about that why?"

_"Because you directed me to inform you, should our latest guest appear severely distressed or in need of assistance. After turning in his bed for half an hour, Master Loki seemed entirely composed when relocating to the doorstep of your bedroom. He fell asleep not two minutes after that."_

Rubbing his forehead with a tired sigh, Tony assured his girlfriend. "I will be up in a minute, Pep."

~ ᗯ ~

Loki pulled back startled, banging his head on the door behind him when someone shook his shoulder. Stark was crouched down beside him with the same beautiful woman the god had seen upon his arrival. This had to be 'Pepper'. Instinct made him curl into himself even though both humans appeared more worried than angry. He really was an imbecile. Why had he ever thought that it would be a good idea to invade their territory? He had suffered days of torture for less!

"Hey, Reindeer Games, didn't you like your room?"

This was not going how it was supposed to. Stark had made his wishes as to where Loki should stay quite clear. Still he did not reprimand him for disobeying. His last master would have dragged him to the dungeon by his hair and chained him down or locked him in. Stark was … he looked concerned. Why?

Despite his confusion, the god answered as politely as possible, "I wanted to be available should you need me, Master."

Running his hand through his hair, Tony started, "I don't …"

Then the woman interrupted before his master could finish his sentence, "Why don't you take him down to the workshop? I'm sure he can make himself useful there."

When Tony looked up, Loki noticed the two having a wordless conversation he could not decipher. In the end the woman clearly got her way since Tony offered his hand. "Alright, come on. Time to introduce you to the awesomeness that is my workspace." He kissed her on the cheek, bidding her a good night, before they boarded the elevator. When they entered what seemed like a glass cage, Tony gestured towards a couch at the back. "Why don't you close your eyes a little, while I pick up where I left off? I'll call you when I need something."

Gazing at the comfortable looking sofa, Loki hesitated, "I don't want to fall asleep, Master."

"It's Tony. Why won't you call me by my name?"

Dropping his eyes again, the former god mumbled, "That would be entirely disrespectful."

When the human approached him and put a hand on his shoulder, Loki managed not to pull back. Yet he didn't dare to look up when Stark addressed him again. "Respect is something to be earned and has nothing to do with what you call people. Other than that, aren't you supposed to do what I tell you?" His small smirk indicated that Loki was not supposed to become overly worried at the reprimand.

The idea of calling his new master by his first name was … difficult to say at least. Nevertheless, he tried, "Yes … Tony." The smile he earned in response was worth the discomfort and Loki found himself wanting to summon it again.

"Alright," Tony clapped his hands, "Now: you couch, me: workbench. Why don't we play some music if you are so worried about falling asleep?"

Relieved, the god followed Stark's directions and sat down on the couch. He was out like a light within a few minutes. After tinkering for a few more minutes, Tony asked, "Is he asleep?"

_"Yes, Sir."_

"Reduce the volume by fifty percent." Tony put down his tools and stepped up to the couch. For several moments he took in the sleeping form that lay curled up on his comforter. "JARVIS, where is …" A soft beeping noise made him look at DUM-E who was offering a soft blanket. "Thanks, DUM-E." Tony patted his bot after spreading the blanket over the sleeping god. "You will keep an eye on him, will you?" The bot tutted once in confirmation, proving his dedication to the task by slightly pulling on the blanket so that Loki wouldn't freeze. With a content smile, Tony returned to his toys.

~ ᗯ ~

The engineer made grabby hands towards the heavenly smelling coffee Steve brought to his workshop a little while later. "What's up, soldier? Are you afraid that our residential god will wreak havoc in my workshop?"

"Actually, no. I wanted to fetch the two of you to have breakfast with us. Pepper says she has several things to talk to you about and she can't make time for you later."

Checking the tiny clock in the corner of the three dimensional blue-print he had been working on, Tony noticed that it was nearly eight in the morning. He hadn't planned to work through the night, determined to get Loki into a proper bed at some point. Deflecting from that failure, he grumbled, "You should think that when you pay someone, they would make time for you whenever you want."

But Steve replied drily, "Whatever you pay Pepper, it will never be enough for what she does. The least you can do is indulge her on her time-management."

"True," Tony relented, while washing his hands. "Let me just wake up Loki so we can get more food into him and then I will be at Miss Potts' disposal."

A good idea in theory, turned out a disaster when put to the test. It seemed that DUM-E had made it his personal mission to keep Loki covered to the best of his abilities, because the only thing visible over the edge of the blanket was the god's head. "Did he wake up at all?" At the bot's negative beeping, Tony patted him once before ordering him back to his charging station. Softly Tony called, "Wake up, time for breakfast," gently touching Loki's shoulder.

The genius could have neither predicted, nor avoided the reaction that followed. Opening his eyes, huge and frightened, Loki shoved Tony away with all of his strength. The engineer sailed through his workshop and hit the table behind him hard. Pain flared at the back of his skull and blood immediately began seeping down the back of his neck.

With a choked sound, Loki rushed across the room and knelt beside him. Long fingers brushed over the back of his head. The god closed his eyes in concentration and Tony felt a comfortable warmth spreading through his head, battling not only the pain from the recent hit, but also the headache he had felt coming when rising from his working trance. When the warmth faded after a few minutes, Loki cowered beside him, whispering thickly, "I'm sorry. I am so sorry, Master. I did not mean to harm you. Please, don't send us away. I swear that I will stay in my room and out of your way. I never intended to hurt you, it was an accident. Please, punish me however you see fit, just don't send me back to Asgard."

Tony looked to Steve for assistance but the blond man seemed as confused as he was as to how to calm the panicking god. The engineer carefully reached for Loki's head to comfort him, but the moment Loki looked up at the calming gesture, both humans froze.

"Banner is …"

"… in the kitchen." Steve answered the half-finished question while pulling up Tony, who dragged Loki to his feet.

Frantic all three busted into the kitchen on Steve and Bruce's floor a minute later. Pepper looked up from her Stark pad but immediately left the room when the doctor barked, "First bathroom on the left, under the sink. It's a big, black bag."

Loki felt the desire to pull back when the doctor approached him, but Bruce couldn't care about the god's emotional well-being at the moment. Not when his physical one was so clearly in jeopardy. He was bleeding, from his eyes, nose and ears. Everything indicated that Loki had suffered severe brain damage. Using the penlight Pepper offered from his bag at his demand, he started to check the eyes before testing the other reflexes.

Since Tony was the one who was currently keeping Loki from trembling out of his chair, calming him to the best of his abilities, Steve explained, "Tony wanted to wake Loki but startled him. He threw him through half the room and Tony hit his head pretty hard on the table. I think Loki tried to heal him, that's what caused the bleeding because he was alright moments before."

Bruce, currently touching the base of Loki's neck asked, "Is Tony alright?"

Pepper stepped to her boyfriend and touched his head gingerly. "There is blood on his neck but I can't find a wound."

When Bruce was finished with his preliminary exam – they would need an MRI to make sure that Loki was alright – he inquired, "Is that what happened, Loki? You healed Tony and that caused the bleeding?"

The god pressed his lips together and nodded. It had been his greatest secret, the biggest advantage in a situation where everybody was underestimating him: his ability to do magic.

Irritated, Steve pressed, "But your brother told us that you are outstanding when using magic ever since you were little. It shouldn't hurt you!"

Thor had said that? From the mouth of the Captain it nearly sounded like a compliment, but it could not be. Everyone in Asgard knew that magic was a woman’s domain. It was unheard of for a man to be proud of such an ability, no matter how useful he was in battle.

"Loki?" Stark's voice pulled him out of his musings and instantly he braced himself. The Captain had not asked him a question but his Master – Tony, he corrected himself – inevitably would. And Loki would have to answer, truthfully. He might have been made a slave, been beaten down by life more times than he cared to remember, but he had given his word. His honour, being true to at least himself, was the only thing nobody had been able to take from him. He wouldn't give it up now. So he turned towards the billionaire and waited for the inevitable question.

"Why did your magic hurt you?"

What? Not: Why did you heal me? Or: How did you do it? The god had been prepared to lay out the extent of his misdeeds. Share that he had nearly fractured his master's spine. He was ready to explain the healing magic to the best of his abilities so that these mortals could take advantage of it. Yet all his master wanted to know was why he had hurt himself in the process? As if that even mattered.

"I can't … magic draws energy from the sorcerer's body. Usually my body is able to store a great amount of seiðr, but in its absence I was forced to exchange my life-force for yours."

Clearly having no trouble grasping the concept, Tony continued his enquiry, "Why are you depleted of magic energy at the moment? What did you do with it?"

He was suspicious. Good. Loki at full strength could cause a lot of trouble and not only on this planet. Sadly the answer was much more humiliating. "The collar dampens the recovery of my mystical energies. The little I am able to gather on Midgard every day I need to sustain and protect the babies. I used to have more energy in Svartálfheim since a slave without magic is of no use to a dark elf master. But there is no magic on Midgard beside the one we bring. So it was decided that I wouldn't need mine either."

For a few moments nobody said a word. From Thor's explanations they had concluded that magic was a part of who Loki was. To take that away was like … like keeping Tony out of his workshop or hiding Steve's drawing tools.

"What could you do? If you had your magic, what could you do?"

Humourlessly Loki laughed. Oh no, it would do these humans no good to colour him helpless. "Cause chaos and destruction? I could conjure fire and water, summon illusions so perfect everybody would think them real while being at the other side of the universe. Thor falls for them every time and he has had a lifetime preparing for them."

The soldier, the one who carried the behemoth, and the woman stepped back at that. It was better that way, Loki tried to convince himself. Everybody was afraid of him in the end, even the Allfather. Odin would not have banished him otherwise. The god was surprised when Stark commandeered his attention once more. His words were unbelievably sad when he inquired, "And what would you do?"

Curse their stupid arrangement, and curse Tony Stark for seeing right through him.

"Loki, what would you do if I increased your magical recovery rate?"

Deflating the god admitted, "Heal myself. Make sure that the little ones won't suffer for my mistakes."

When Tony pulled the control module of the collar from his pocket and activated it, Loki waited for the pain. He deserved it. A hundred times over. Even more so from these people than from any other race in the universe save his own because he had brought so much harm to them. Yet, it didn't come. Despite the mumbled protests of those around him, his master offered the device with the directive, "Turn it up as far as it goes."

Loki, however, shook his head. Stark had done right by him, despite owning him nothing. It was time that the god returned the favour. "I can't. I'm sorry, Master … Tony. But you don't know what you are doing. Even with a fraction of my former power I would be far superior to you. It would be reckless of you to allow that."

Surprisingly it was the woman who groaned at that and sank back in her chair, apparently defeated. The soldier tried to intervene while the doctor put his tools away. "Tony, think about this!"

All the engineer said to his blonde friend was, "Respect has to be earned. You told me so yourself once upon a time, Cap. And you know what? So does trust!" Turning towards Loki again, Tony recalled, "Your life, your magic, everything you are is mine to command. That's what you promised me. Was that a lie?"

Closing his eyes, sinking to his knees before his master, Loki shook his head, "No, Master."

Tony looking up from the god at his feet to his friends who had watched the two of them baffled. One by one they gave a small nod. Relieved he offered the control of the slave-collar once again, "Reckless is exactly my style. Do it, Loki, turn it as high as possible. Thor would kill me if I harm his brother on the very first day."

Thor couldn't care less, of that the god was sure, but he didn't voice his doubts. Instead he dutifully took the controls and increased his seiðr intake as much as possible. He relaxed a fraction when he felt the constriction of the collar lessen a little, even if it was only the dampening of his mystical energies. Showing what he had just done he returned the control-module with a quiet, "Thank you, Master Tony."

~ ᗯ ~

The engineer insisted that Loki sleep after the extensive breakfast of fruits and juice he compelled him to eat. The god was amazed by the sheer amount of food that was both available and consumed. Even he got the chance to eat his fill again. Tony had continued to put diced fruits onto his plate until Loki had tentatively stopped him. Then Bruce had insisted to take a look at Loki's back. Regrettably his master had agreed, so Loki had prepared himself for some painful poking and prodding. But all the doctor had done was touch him gently before putting some cold cream on his skin. He advised him to reapply it after the shower. That was all. Why were these people so nice to him?

The next day however, showed that not all Avengers were merciful and forgiving. Stark had given him the chance to sleep yesterday away with only brief interruptions for eating and personal hygiene. Today, his master had directed him towards their floor to change before he was expected at the workshop once again. Loki had received several bags of clothes he had not dared to inspect yet. But if he was honest with himself, he was looking forward to it. Especially because Tony had told him that the woman, 'Pepper' had ordered them. The short time Loki had known her, she had looked nothing but sophisticated and perfect. Her style agreed with Loki's choices in garments far more than Stark's. When the doors to the elevator opened however, they revealed Clint Barton and before Loki got the chance to explain his presence in the tower, the archer had him in a strangling grip and the tip of a knife was poking at Loki's belly. The god froze, fear for his children chilling him to the bones. One, short stab and not even he would be able to save the little ones.

Barton stared him in the eye, his gaze murderous when he growled, "What the hell are you doing here, Loki?"

~ ᗯ ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for Chapter 4:  
> "Natasha, please, let him leave and I will explain."


	5. Punishment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everybody get's what he deserves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trulywished once more took it upon herself to smooth out some quirks in my story. She really made it better. Enjoy.

_"Sir, I think Master Loki would benefit from your assistance."_ JARVIS drowned out the deafening music Tony had just had him start.

Elbow deep in blue-prints, Tony mumbled absent-mindedly, "Why? Are trousers from Earth too complicated for our residing deity?"

_"No, Sir,"_ the AI stated in an urgent tone, _"Master Barton just returned."_

"Damn!" Tony shot up, reaching for the gauntlet he had tinkered with yesterday. "Has Clint hurt him yet? How is he?" The elevator opened the moment the engineer approached it and during his ride up, he put on the glove and connected it to his arc reactor. Just in case.

_"He seems worried but currently unharmed."_ JARVIS supplied, backing up his words with a glimpse of the surveillance feed from the common floor.

Why did Bruce and Steve have to go to S.H.I.E.L.D. today of all days?

~ ᗯ ~

Clint could barely hear himself think over the blood that roared in his ears. He had battled nightmares and self-flagellation for the past three years after what this ‘god’ had done to him. He had thought himself over it. But now that Loki stood right in front of him, everything came rushing back. He had the god at arm’s length, one small twist with his blade and Clint would finally find peace and Coulson would be avenged. Every life lost … Loki would finally pay for them.

But instead of facing the figure of countless nightmares, the arrogant, ruthless god who had forced him to betray his friends, Clint saw a terrified being who looked at him with panic in his eyes, repeating one phrase over and over around the vice-like grip on his neck. "I'm sorry. I am so sorry. Please …."

The charging of a repulsor pulled Clint out of his thoughts. Only moving his head a little, keeping Loki in his peripheral vision, the archer found Tony standing next to him. The genius’ expression was serious in a way Clint had not seen since the man had told them that he had finally agreed to the operation that would take out the shrapnel.

"Lower that knife, Barton, or I will make you do it."

"Why should I?" Clint snarled, unable to believe that Tony would chose this pathetic being over him. His friend's eyes were deep brown so there was no way he was under a spell. "He deserves to die a hundred times over for what he did to Coulson. What he did to me!"

"You are right." Tony admitted, approaching the pair slowly. He prepared himself to blast Clint should the man's hand so much as twitch. "You are absolutely right, but he is pregnant and I claimed his children as mine. I will not let you hurt them since his daddy dearest placed him under my care."

Loki could see his master's words register, even through the anguish that filled the archer. He was not ready to let Loki go, but the blade had drifted upwards, now threatening to pierce Loki's lunge instead of his belly. He could deal with that, so he relaxed a little, as did his master.

"Don't paint me stupid, Stark! When would you have had time to impregnate the bastard?" The archer growled.

"During the battle of New York?"

"Oh come on," Clint sneered, "Not even you are dumb enough to fraternize with the enemy."

"Well," Tony dragged out slowly, shuffling into position. "Story goes, it was not exactly consensual."

Looking at his friend Clint demanded clarification. "Are you telling me that you raped the God of Mischief before he hurled you out a window you?"

"I won't let you hurt our children," Tony repeated, avoiding the question.

After pondering over what he had just heard Clint decided, "You're lying. Usually I wouldn't give a damn, but you know what this bastard did to me, to all of us. So why are you defending him? I thought we were friends"

"Come on, Legolas. You know I'm your friend and that I always have your back!" Tony tried to deflect, but knew even when he said it that Clint wouldn't go for it. They had come a long way since New York. Had bonded over tools and exploding toys and excessive amounts of expensive and not so expensive alcohol. Maybe that's why this subjective betrayal hurt them both so very much.

Clint let go of Loki and the god fell to his knees, coughing violently. The archer shook his head. "I can't be here, Tony. Not in the same room, the same building, I’m not even sure I can be in the same town as him. I really want to believe that you have your reasons. But whatever they are, I can't be here as long as you choose him over me."

"Clint, please." Tony tried, but the man just pulled back, shaking his head.

Both were halted when a raspy voice suggested, "Punish me."

Turning around, they both looked at the kneeling god, Clint with contempt and Tony with barely concealed horror.

"You can't be serious," Tony started when Loki rose and approached him gingerly.

"Please, Master … Tony. For everything I have done, Master Barton deserves revenge." Loki knew that this would be painful, but after the care Stark had offered, he had regained the majority of his physical strength. Barton was no stranger to torture, but neither was Loki after these last few years. If this was his chance to make something right, he would take it. So when Stark remained speechless, the god approached the archer and sank to his knees in front of him. "Please, Master Barton. I ask for your punishment. Just … don't hurt my unborn children."

Overwhelmed by the anger of seeing the reason for so much horror right in front of him, Clint jumped at the chance. Growling under his breath he harshly grabbed Loki's hair and pulled him towards the elevator. When Tony intercepted his path, Clint hissed, "Stay out of this, Stark. If you want to keep us both in the tower, you fucking stay out of this! And don't you dare have JARVIS intervene!"

Keeping the elevator from closing but not stepping in, Tony asked, "How long?"

"The same amount of time he had me. That's fair, don't you think?"

Loki kept himself from shivering, if only barely. He deserved this, he reminded himself. He did this for Stark because Loki could not be the reason his new master lost his friends. He had never had any so he knew their value better than anybody. Yet neither thought helped with the rising fear. The god didn't dare to rise to his feet when Barton dragged him into the sparsely furnished living room and flinched only a little when a heavy bag landed beside him. A worn leather box followed and Barton's voice was angry when he directed, "These are my weapons, well … some of them. You will clean them! Polish them and prepare them for use. If you try to tamper with anything, I will cut you open. If you try to escape, I will find and kill you. There will be no realm where you can hide from me. Understood?"

"Yes, Master Barton." Loki didn't dare look up. He barely allowed himself to breathe until the archer turned on his heel and left the room, locking the door for good measure. The former god needed a few minutes to get his erratic heartbeat under control, before he opened the bag. Arrows, blades, guns, steel-filaments, and other vicious instruments of Barton's trade were stored haphazardly. With shaking fingers, he reached for the first arrow and then the box with the cleaning tools.

In his long life, Loki had learned the use for nearly every weapon in existence, no matter if he liked wielding it or not. Now his treacherous mind supplied him with images of the damage each weapon he touched could do. Clint Barton undoubtedly knew the numerous ways a blade, no matter how small, could pierce a body without killing it. As a master of his art, he was surely familiar with the countless places where a knife could sink into flesh, causing a maximum of pain without causing organ damage.

With every weapon Loki laid neatly out on the table, his spirits sank further. As far as psychological torment went, this was an excellent exercise. The god's own mind supplied the tortures Clint Barton would inflict on him without the slightest chance to defend himself.

~ ᗯ ~

As much as Loki's mind revolved around the archer, Clint's thoughts circled around the god. You didn't need to be a master-spy to know that Tony's story about raping Loki during the battle of New York was complete bullshit. Not that Anthony Edward Stark, heir of Stark Industries and creator of Iron Man, did not have destructive tendencies aplenty, but you only needed to know the man a little to understand that every single one of them was directed inward. To those he considered his friends, as few as there actually were, Tony was generous and supportive. At least if he could be bothered to come out of his workshop long enough to interact with them.

That was what Clint couldn't understand: Loki was no friend. Sure, he was Thor's little brother, but shouldn't that make him the Thunder God's problem?

Now that he had worked his way through the treadmill, the cross-trainer and was hitting one of Cap's punching bags, Clint was finally ready to admit to himself that Tony would never invite anybody into their home he thought even remotely dangerous for any of them. Even the Hulk had his own room by now where he could safely blow off some steam should Bruce unexpectedly get overly angry. So without any kind of mind control or alien possession, the billionaire, despite his eccentric tendencies, would never endanger their make-shift family.

His eyes had been dark, his voice-pattern, though betraying his anxiety, not out of character. That, combined with the collar and Loki's uncharacteristically submissive demeanour, supported Tony's story that he actually had taken responsibility for the god. Still, Clint didn't like it. He hit the punching bag again and again until he sank to the floor exhausted. Punching the ground in frustration, the agent groaned, "Why, Tony? Why the hell did you invite him of all people into our home?"

_"Agent Barton?"_

Clint did not even twitch when JARVIS well-articulated voice piped up out of the blue. When the AI didn't continue, he rarely addressed any of them without a purpose, Clint sat up, "What is it, JARVIS? Is Loki making trouble?"

After an uncharacteristically long pause, were JARVIS human, Clint would call him hesitant, he continued, _"No, Agent. Master Loki is seeing to the task you set him upon. He appears quite subdued at the moment. But regarding your question, would you be interested in reviewing the footage of Master Loki's arrival?"_

Rising to get some water and a towel, Clint asked, "I thought only Happy and Tony have access to the security footage."

_"That is correct."_

For a few heartbeats Clint waited for the AI to continue. But when JARVIS remained silent, the archer probed, "Please, show me?"

Instantly the wall in front of Clint lit up, showing Bruce, Steve and Tony in the kitchen, decorating cupcakes. "Those bastards! They were baking without us!"

Stopping the playback, JARVIS asked drily, _"Should I call Sir so that you can discuss this with him?"_

Clint couldn't help but grin at the AI's snarky remark. "Maybe later. I'm sorry, please continue."

The agent sank down to the bench when Loki started to fight his captors. He knew the look of desperation on the god's face only too well. Baffled he watched the captive sink to his knees. The archer swallowed around a constricting throat when he noticed the pleading gaze and didn't comment on the black-out either Tony or Pepper had to have ordered. He had to concentrate on unclenching his fists when he watched Loki's back after the god had pulled off his shirt to mope up the mess he had made after throwing up.

Clint took a deep breath when the footage ended with Tony guiding Loki from the common floor. The archer was used to the security feeds coming without audio, but he hadn't needed any to understand that Loki had been at the end of his tether when pleading with Stark. He didn't like the god, far from it, but the thing was … he knew how someone looked who was constantly afraid of punishment. He had seen the face of a person who had been tortured so often that new wounds overlapped old ones without giving any of them the chance to properly heal. Sometimes even in the mirror. He remembered the cramps before throwing up because hadn't eaten in so long that his stomach simply wasn't able to handle solid food.

Worst of all, Clint remembered fearing even the slightest amount of human contact, because all you had known for so long was abuse or punishment. Things had changed with S.H.I.E.L.D. and again with Natasha. With her, he had learned that a hand in your face did not necessarily mean a slap and that lips on your throat could do so much more than bite.

Still, being able to read these signs did not mean that he liked to have Loki around. But maybe, just maybe, after paying for what he had done, Clint could tolerate him, for Tony's sake.

After the battle of New York, after coming together as a team, the billionaire had given them a stability none of them had known in a very long time. He acted as if the least he could do was giving them a luxurious home, delicious food, pricey coffee and even more expensive alcohol, really everything they could think of, because he was rich enough to afford it. He had never asked for anything in return. Until now.

"Thank you, JARVIS."

_"You are welcome, Agent Barton."_

~ ᗯ ~

Loki had neatly arranged every weapon on the dinner table. He had asked JARVIS to talk him through dismantling the handguns and putting them back together. Though unfamiliar, they had not been harder to handle than his old staff. He had used the bathroom once, dared to drink some water because as it turned out, once well fed, his stomach demanded food when empty. For the last hour the god had been kneeling beside the table, dreading the archer's return. Still, his resolve was even stronger now to see this punishment through. He would suffer whatever torture the agent could come up with, as long as the man did not hurt his unborn children. Loki hoped that the human would tie him down, so he would not hurt himself by accident by struggling in pain.

When the door finally opened, the god nearly lost his determination, but then he rose and pulled off the thin sleeping shirt Stark had provided. As detached as possible Loki stated, "Your tools are prepared, Master Barton. I am ready to receive punishment."

Holy fuck! Clint watched the god lose the last item of clothing, standing before him with nothing to defend himself. The agent could see the minuscule trembling before Loki could suppress it, presenting himself open and vulnerable. A realization dawned, "You think that I had you clean my weapons, because I intend to use them on you."

"As it is your right," Loki answered, wishing that the archer would start already while hoping that he could stall him at the same time. "Nothing I can do or say will ever make up for the horrors I put you through. I am not so naïve to think that I could ever ask for your clemency." Raising his eyes from the floor, the god looked at Clint for the first time and all the archer could spot was resignation and just the tiniest flick of hope. "But if you would allow me but one request: don't take your anger out on Master Tony. None of this is his fault."

For endless moments Clint remained speechless before he probed incredulously, "That's it? All you ask for is that I don't get angry with Tony? Not for leniency in punishment or even mercy?"

"I deserve neither from you."

"How many of these weapons do you expect me to use on you?" Clint asked all of a sudden. The answer made his blood run cold.

"All of them, of course. Then I will clean them again so that you can start anew. You only have a limited window of opportunity. I expect you to make the most of it."

"Leave." Clint's croak was unrecognisable even to himself. When Loki didn't waver, the man repeated himself considerable louder, "Put your fucking clothes on and leave my floor!"

Faster than Clint would have thought possible, Loki threw on his clothes and fled the room. When Clint heard the doors to the elevator open but not close, he sighed tiredly and forced himself to investigate. Of course Natasha would chose exactly that moment to return. Gun in her hand she had Loki at arm's length. She didn't move, just assessed the situation until Clint stepped into her line of sight, demanding quietly, "пропусти." [Let him leave.]

"Нет!" [No]

"Наташа, пожалуйста, позвольте ему уйти и я объясню." [Natasha, please, let him leave and I will explain]

Reluctantly, Nat lowered her gun a little and stepped around the god, not letting him out of her sight. Shivering briefly when the imminent threat was over, Loki boarded the elevator and sagged against the wall when the doors started to close. Angrily, Natasha turned around, piercing Clint with a furious glare, "Alright, explain!"

~ ᗯ ~

When the elevator opened on Stark's floor, Loki fought for composure. The fear of what could have happened made him frantic and he barely got the trembling that wretched his entire frame under control. His every instinct demanded he hide to gain time to recuperate. The god barely made it to his room and his hiding place before he broke down, suppressing huge sobs by pressing his hands to his mouth.

~ ᗯ ~

Tony had nervously switched between pacing the living room of the penthouse and throwing things around in his workshop. Several times he had been on the verge of asking JARVIS for a video-feed from the assassin's floor, but he told himself repeatedly that he trusted Clint. That the archer was his friend and would not seriously harm someone Tony had said to be important to him.

After a few hours, however, he lost his good intentions and demanded to know what Clint was currently doing. He hoped that his AI would gloss over the details should the agent be torturing Loki. The engineer was surprised to hear that the archer was currently punching the hell out of one of Steve's bags. Regrettably, Tony didn't know if it was a good thing that Clint was working out his anger. Calm and level-minded Hawkeye was deadly, rivalled only by his girlfriend, the Black Widow.

Finally Tony decided that it was time to blow some shit up and started to re-test his new repulsors. Night had already fallen when JARVIS remarked, _"Sir, I think Master Loki would appreciate a light dinner."_

"He's already back?" Calling Tony surprised would be an understatement. Still, he hesitated before storming up to the penthouse. JARVIS had shared that Loki was currently hiding in him room, so Tony asked on his way to the kitchen, "Is he hurt, should I call Bruce?"

JARVIS answer, _"Not physically, Sir."_ did little to ease the engineer's mind. When he had assembled a sandwich, strictly after the Captain's guidelines, he gathered the plate and a glass of milk on a tray he had not even known he possessed. He knocked on Loki's door, but didn't receive an answer.

Loki heard the door to his room opening, yet he could not bring himself to emerge from his wardrobe. Not even when his new master called his name. Yes, Loki had suggested that Barton punish him, but Stark had jumped at the chance awfully fast, not even bothering to check in on him. And now, he wasn't even truly looking. These quarters did not provide too many hiding places.

But Stark left without further investigating Loki's whereabouts and his health. The god turned slave told himself that he really didn't care. But a part of him had hoped that Stark … that Tony really was different. That for the first time in his life, somebody actually cared about him. It was just like with his family. His father had hoped to improve the relations with the Jotun by taking in one of their own. Stark had accepted him for the promise of heirs. Neither of the two cared for Loki himself, his thoughts and feelings.

All of a sudden the closet suffocated him and he burst out. Looking around in the nice guest room all Loki saw was another cage. Screaming the god reached for the armchair in the corner and threw it through the room. His night stand was next, the decoration on his dresser, and finally the dresser itself also fell victim to his fit of rage. Turning around for something else to throw, his eyes fell on a small tray that stood right beside the exit of the wardrobe. A sandwich and a glass of milk. Stark had supplied him with a meal. He had left him unbothered but still had brought food.

Before Loki could come to a conclusion of what that meant the door opened again, this time without anybody bothering to knock. His master, clad in his armour, stood in the frame. He wordlessly took in the destruction Loki had caused. But instead of demanding an explanation, the human reached for the god and pulled him out of the room.

Loki's first instinct was to apologize, to defend himself and his actions, but Iron Man crossed the living room and stepped out onto the balcony. His sole instruction was, "Hold on, I don't want to drop you," before taking off.

~ ᗯ ~

At first, the god's stomach clenched, dreading where his master would bring him. But then he decided that if he would be abandoned, he could at least enjoy the ride. Yet after a while, Loki realized that there was nothing more to this flight than joy. Iron Man soared through the sky. Loki had to hold on to him on his own, because sometimes the engineer needed both hands to perform daring manoeuvres, weaving between buildings and landmarks. Loki heard Steve asking what was going on, but Iron Man just shut him down, "Don't worry, Cap. We just stepped out for a stroll around the block to blow off some steam. We will be back before bedtime."

After a few moments, Steve asked, slightly worried, "JARVIS told me that Clint and Natasha are back. Is Loki alright?"

Sighing as if this was a chore, Tony snapped, "Nobody's bleeding so far; Iron Man out."

Once the line was closed, the engineer looked at Loki for the first time, but, since the mask was hiding his face, the god could not determine what his master was thinking. His voice was muffled by the armour when he asked, "What did Clint do to you?"

That question brought back the reason for Loki's tantrum. Yet if he thought about it, "He had me polish his weapons." Truth was, the archer had done nothing beyond that. Everything else had just been in his head. Still, a part of the god could not believe that this was over. Surely Barton would want to execute his revenge somehow. Would Stark ask about that? Loki had no desire to share his conversation with Hawkeye.

Yet all Iron Man wanted to know after a few moments was, "Wanna go faster?"

Unable to keep a small smile off his face at that prospect, he nodded, "Yes."

For a moment, Iron Man hovered, rearranging the two of them mid-air so Loki was on his back, arms wrapped around the suit's shoulders and torso. Then Stark started to really show off.

They broke through the sound-barrier within seconds, and though Loki was freezing, he didn't care. He conjured a tiny shield to protect his head and while his arms and legs started to go numb, his heart began to soar. This was freedom like nothing he had ever felt. They stopped now and then for Stark to take a rest or to show him something. But whenever the engineer asked for directions, Loki pointed at something on the horizon and off they were.

Finally the Trickster could understand what his brother had been talking about all these centuries. There were few things more elevating than flying. The two watched the sun rise over New York from a mountaintop. Only now did the engineer take off his helmet and though the man seemed tired, a serene calm had sunken over him.

Tony and Loki had reached equilibrium at some point tonight and both seemed reluctant to disturb it. In the end Tony asked, "Are you alright?"

Not wanting to lie for the first time in centuries, Loki admitted quietly, "I am better than I have been in a very long time. Thank you, Stark."

If Loki noticed his slip in addressing he didn't apologize for it and Tony just turned away from the god, hiding his smile. The billionaire could not remember the last time he had watched the sun come up. Not be there, bleary eyed or drunk, but just out in the open when a new day was dawning. It felt like a new beginning. Maybe things would be alright after all. A man could hope.

~ ᗯ ~

As promised, Clint explained everything to Natasha. All that had happened during Loki's unannounced arrival and after. Then the topic changed, back to the battle of New York and for the first time Clint admitted how very much he loathed himself for everything he had done, all the lives that had been lost because of him. Loki was responsible, he had taken from Clint the ability to choose, but that didn't calm the archer's conscience.

Natasha had known. Of course she had, she was his partner, his best friend, the person who knew him better than anyone. But they never talked about it. "Today, when you had him at your mercy, powerless and weak, why didn't you execute your revenge? There won’t be a better chance."

Clint had asked himself the same. Loki had lain all the tools of his trade out for him; had expected to be hurt. Yet the thought, of torturing someone without the need for information, without an assignment, in the way the god had described, made the archer feel nauseous. "After your 'cognitive recalibration' you told me that this was gods and magic and nothing we were ever trained for. You told me that I was not responsible for the treason I have committed. That the people I have killed weren't on me because of Loki's spell."

Nodding slowly, Natasha confirmed, "I still think that you should heed that advice."

Flashing a brief smile that didn't reach his eyes, Clint shook his head. Of course Tasha didn't want him to feel guilty, but he did nevertheless. "Loki made me a traitor and a murderer and there was nothing I could do about it." When Natasha tried to protest, Clint stopped her. "Today I had a choice. I decided that after everything he had done to me, he would not make me a torturer."

After a shaky exhale, the Black Widow tilted her head in agreement. They were forced to do horrible things in their line of work and usually did them with a clean conscience. But if Clint had decided that he didn't want to do these things in his private life, she would support him. In the end there was only one last decision to make: Where do we go from here?

~ ᗯ ~

The sun was already coming up when they finally made their choice. The door to the tower closed silently when the two spies walked out into the busy streets of New York.

~ ᗯ ~


	6. Fury

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is how it's done when you're an Avenger!

Loki's breath hitched when he saw Clint and Natasha stepping out of the elevator on the common floor the same moment Iron Man and he touched down on his landing pad. The assassins were laden with bags. Maybe they wanted to enjoy a hearty breakfast before having a go at him?

When Steve and Bruce entered from the staircase, bleary eyed and still half asleep, Loki forced himself to straighten and follow his master. He would not hide behind his master like a coward. He was Loki of Asgard, he had faced more dire threats than two humans.

The moment they came together in the kitchen, an awkward silence befell the group. The god noticed that his master wanted to say something, but after savouring the tension for a few moments, the archer beat him to it. With more force then necessary, he pushed the bags into his teammates' hands. "I want to tell you, that all of you are bastards for having a baking day without Tasha and me. But we will generously let you make up for it, by making an opulent breakfast for us. Tony will take care of the coffee. Steve can make pancakes and Bruce, you are on bacon-and-egg-duty, or egg and whatever you fancy this month. Loki's responsible for the fruit-salad since your brother said that you were pretty gifted with a knife."

Realizing that he was not only included in the preparations of this meal, but also trusted with a blade, Loki took the bowl of fruits and the knife and lowered his eyes in submission, acknowledging quietly, "Yes, Master Barton."

"Good," Clint pulled himself on the counter beside his girl. "Now that everybody has his task assigned, we can start."

Measuring ingredients of the pancakes, Steve asked, "Start what?"

Stealing an apple from the bowl and sharing it with Natasha, Clint demanded, "Start explaining what brought this whole mess to our doorstep."

Sharing a look with the others before serving the first finished cup of coffee to the archer, Tony opened his mouth. But before he could say anything, Clint shut him down. "No, I want him to explain," he gestured towards Loki, now addressing the god." What happened that made you think it's a wise choice to accuse Tony Stark of rape, when everybody who is friends with him knows what complete and utter bullshit that is?"

For a heartbeat nobody dared to breathe. Not Loki, because he was the centre of attention and clearly at the disadvantage. Not Steve and Bruce because they were ashamed of their lack of trust and not Tony because he would have never thought the spy-couple, of all people, would see through him so easily. They knew his reputation, still they seemed to have never doubted him. He made a new entry on his mental check-list to prepare some new, fancy arrows for Clint and to reduce the charging time of Natasha's widow's bite.

Loki defend himself after a few moments. In a quiet voice he reminded them, "The Allfather believed me, so did Thor." When nobody commented, he continued. The god only gave a very brief overview over what had led to his first visit to Earth and its consequences. Still, it was enough for the Avengers to know that he was telling the truth. All important details correlated with the stories Thor had told them. When Loki was finished, Tony picked up and by the time breakfast was served on the coffee table – Loki still ignored every suggestion that he should use a chair and help himself to some food – everybody had a pretty good idea of the situation.

Pepper joined them half way through the meal, kissing Tony and briefly dragging her fingers through Loki's hair before choosing a place right beside him, mirroring Tony. Everybody had been surprised when Loki had risen after that, fetching a cup of coffee and another plate. Until now he had refused to take a single thing for himself. The god arranged pancakes, eggs, bacon and a few pieces of fruit neatly. But instead of keeping the plate, he served it to Pepper, taking for himself only what his master was offering.

Stark's former personal assistant, still too used to handling his private affairs, started explaining her plan for Tony and Loki's first public appearance. She accepted the food Loki offered graciously, thanking the god with a brief smile and continued without interruption. Apparently being served by a god was nothing out of the ordinary for her.

Once the PR part was covered, Natasha reminded them of one, uncomfortable, last detail. "We still have to decide what to tell Fury. He's going to combust if he hears about Loki's residence on Earth from the TV."

Grinning, Tony popped a grape into his mouth, after offering a bunch to Loki. "Well, after our little joyride last night, he might already have an inkling."

"If we push the story on him as soon as possible we are at the advantage." Pepper decided.

'He will never believe it.' That's what Steve wanted to say. But he was still too ashamed for not trusting his team-mate. He knew Tony Stark, had learned to see past the façade of smiles and blustering, past the fast cars and flashy appearances. The creator of Iron Man had his flaws, but violence against others had never been one of them. Yet, Steve had leapt to the worst possible conclusion at the first opportunity. Fury didn't know Tony half as well as any of them. "I think that might work. Maybe he will get suspicious when he has time to think about it. But for starters, he won't have a reason not to allow Loki to stay with us."

"Excuse me?" Tony asked, voice getting louder.

Pepper shut him up with a hand on his thigh. "From what I understand, Odin gave Loki into Tony's custody. As long as S.H.I.E.L.D. wants Thor on our side, they can't act against the king's wishes."

"And all Asgardian gods aside, Fury still needs my Iron Man."

Smiling, Clint shook his head, trading a look with Natasha. Of course it would not sit well with Tony if anybody tried to 'take his stuff'. Still … "Tony, there are five people, all in this room, who have your back unconditionally. Just don't make more enemies than we can deal with in one day."

During this entire conversation, Loki knelt on the floor, hiding his clutched fists underneath the table. He could feel Stark's warmth on his right, and Pepper's legs touched his left shoulder now and then. He had brought this whole chaotic situation upon them, after invading their planet and attacking Stark. Yet, instead of punishing him when given the chance, they were discussing of how to keep him safe. Not even his own family had done that. Earth's mightiest heroes were had his back and despite his centuries of existence, Loki couldn't determine why.

~ ᗯ ~

 _"Sir, Miss Jane Foster would like to speak to you."_ JARVIS announced out of the blue.

Instantly suspicious, Tony asked, "Only Jane?"

 _"I was asked to neither confirm nor deny the presence of any deities in Miss Foster’s company."_ The AI replied.

"Sometimes I wonder where you learned the art of obstructing the truth. I should have a look at your code at some point." Tony pondered, carefully avoiding answering JARVIS' question.

 _"Please do, Sir, we cannot have my learning matrix adopting your habits."_ JARVIS stated.

"Now listen to me, you sassy computer," the engineer started, but was interrupted by Steve’s quiet request, "Tony, please, let Thor come up."

Rubbing his eyes with the balls of his hands until he saw stars, he was definitely too sleep deprived for this, the billionaire gave in. "Alright, JARVIS. Let them in."

When the elevator opened, a moment later Tony gave the closest camera a dirty look. Of course JARVIS remained silent. The Avengers were already on their way to greet Thor and Jane. When the billionaire finally joined them, after an encouraging nudge from Pepper, he was shocked to see the picture Thor made. Not only did the god look as if Jane had dragged him all the way upstate from the moment he had landed in Mexico two days ago, he appeared to have forgone sleep entirely and reduced hygiene to a minimum. In short: he looked dreadful On top of it all, he was unable to meet Tony's eyes.

The team had chosen places, leaning against the back of the couch, sliding on top of a dresser at the side, strategically placing themselves between Thor and Tony, ready to defend the engineer should the Thundergod make another go at him. But Thor seemed too worn to even think about attacking. Only when Jane nudged him slightly, did he come closer. But contrary to Tony's expectations of Thor berating him for what had happened to his little brother, the god sank down on one knee in front of him, placing Mjolnir at his feet.

"Man of Iron, once I called you my brother in arms, but even knowing my brother's unfavourable tendencies of twisting the truth, I allowed his lies to convince me of a crime you would never commit. I even attacked you in a misguided attempt to defend my brother's honour. I am here to beg for a chance to redeem myself. I am laying my weapon at your feet as proof of my sincerity.

"What the hell should I do with a hammer I can't even lift?" Tony asked annoyed. After a moment however, he forced himself to take a deep breath and looked over his shoulder. Pepper stood at his back, as always, and Loki – despite clearly wishing to be elsewhere – mirrored her position.

As soon as Thor had entered, Loki had hunched his shoulders, making himself as small as possible. The dark-haired god had been surprised to feel Pepper's hand at the small of his back and had been helpless to deny the comfort he drew when Stark reached for him as well. The engineer's callused fingers around his wrist helped him to look at his brother briefly.

Thor looked beyond worn, and no matter how little Loki liked it, the picture of misery tucked at his heart. Not that his brother deserved any pity. He had abandoned him after all and no matter his half-hearted attempts afterwards, Loki was unable to believe in his sincerity. It would hurt too much to trust and be deserted again. Still, he could not help but flinch violently when Thor laid his weapon, his life, at Stark's feet and the billionaire dismissed the gesture.

Loki needed a few moments of staring at Mjolnir to realize that his master, his mistress, really all Avengers but Thor were looking at him. He was surprised when Stark addressed him. "Well, tick-tock, Reindeer Games, time to make a decision. Should he stay or should he go?"

The slave looked up perplexed. Why would a master care for the opinion of his slave? The god shook his head in confusion. "Why … it is not my place to make that decision. I am but a slave, in no position to have a say in what you should do with my br… with your shield-brother."

"First of all," Tony started, "We talked about this whole 'slavery' thing. And second: I did not ask you to make a decision on my, but on your brother's behalf. Consider it your treat for the day."

Hushed, Loki mumbled, "I don't understand."

"Both times Thor looked up during his well-rehearsed speech, he was not looking at me but you, Loki. You two have a lot of issues, but in the end the decision if you want to give him another chance is yours. This tower is your home now. You want him out of here, he is gone."

As if to prove Tony right, Thor shifted Mjolnir ever so slightly in Loki's direction, imploring quietly, "Brother, please."

Shivering, the dark-haired god pulled back. He wouldn't, couldn't do this. If his master really considered this his boon for not lying for twenty-four hours, he could find so many better things to request. His brother getting back in this human's good graces should be none of his concern. Treats for a slave were rare and knowing himself, Loki doubted that he would be able to earn one again. So why should he waste it on his useless brother? It did not even matter how crestfallen and sincere Thor looked. After ignoring him for nearly a decade, the Thundergodsuddenly wanted to make amends? Just like that?

Stoically shaking his head the God of Lies distanced himself from the kneeling body and fortunately his owners allowed it. But when he heard Stark verbalize his thoughts, he stopped his retreat. "Sorry, Point Break. But I think two Norse Gods are too much for one tower."

This was not possible. The whole situation seemed unreal to Loki when Thor sank down on both knees after Stark's blunt dismissal. His entire strength seemed to have left him, even the custom made armour appeared too heavy all of a sudden.

"Wait!" Loki heard himself shouting. "He … he failed you, master. But … but if his offer is sincere, he should get the chance to make it up to you. I …," Looking at his master, Loki admitted defeat and closed his eyes. "Consider this my request: Please, allow Thor to stay."

Tony looked into Loki's eyes when the god would meet his for a few heartbeats, before the slave remembered to lower his gaze. Only when he returned to his accustomed position behind his master's lift shoulder, did the engineer give in. "Alright. Let's give this another shot. Take your hammer, and a shower and go to bed, Thor. You look dead on your feet, buddy. Just keep one thing in mind: Loki lives on Pepper's and my floor. Hence the penthouse is off limits as long as your brother doesn't give you explicit permission enter. Understood?"

Infinitely grateful, Thor moved to pick up his hammer and nodded dutifully, "Yes, Tony, I understand. I would never …"

But the engineer interrupted him before the Thundergod could finish his sentence. "Loki carries my children. That's how the story goes, and I want you to keep that in mind and act accordingly."

Smiling weakly, Thor nodded once again and looked at his brother. "At least you are not a mare this time."

Before any Avenger could comment on that implausible statement, and yes, judging by their looks, Clint and Natasha were already determined to discover the story behind it, Pepper commanded everybody's' attention by stepping into their middle.

"You know, no matter how fantastic of a story this sounds, everyone who wants to join Tony, Loki and me on our visit to S.H.I.E.L.D. this afternoon should get a few hours of sleep. You all seem quite worn. I have to work but hopefully will be back around four. Tonight is a fundraiser Tony and Loki will attend. It's private but important people will pick up on the two. The press conference is tomorrow at nine and I want all of you ready for that, should you decide to support us. There are copies on the official story on your kitchen tables. We can't afford any slips, or the vultures will tear us apart." Whether the 'us' included the Avengers or only Tony, Loki and Pepper remained unmentioned.

After nodding dutifully, Pepper always had this uncanny ability to make herself heard, no matter if her opponents were board directors or superheroes, only two humans and a god remained. Looking them over, Pepper asked, "How are the two of you doing? Are you ready for this?"

Scratching his chest, yawning widely, Tony nodded. "Yep. Little tired but I want to see if I can make the vein on Fury's forehead pulse again."

"Tony" Pepper berated him with a smile when they headed towards their floor.

"Don't worry, mum. I'll be good and play nice with the other children.

~ ᗯ ~

After Tony had left for his bedroom after a brief 'sleep well' kiss, Loki intercepted the woman on her way to the elevator. "Mistress, I … I don't have anything to offer. Not even my life belongs to me. But …" The fallen god took a deep breath and swallowed. Words could never reflect the gratitude he felt for everything this human was willing to do for him. "Should there ever be anything I can do for you, anything at all, please don't hesitate to tell me."

Clearly this man or god or whatever he was, was not used to have somebody in his corner. His verbose gratitude was equally adorable and really, really sad. At first Pepper had secretly been angry with Tony to invite the military leader of the battle of New York into their home. But then she had seen Loki's fear, his wounds and had started to see him instead of what he represented.

With every scared flinch, every grateful gesture, but especially with him chasing even the subtlest hint of a gentle touch her anger had dissipated. Nobody was born a jerk, or an asshole, or an evil god for that matter. With Tony, Pepper had learned that people were a product of their surroundings and especially their upbringing. "Don't worry Loki. Just go along with the story. That's all I need from you right now. First we have to get the situation on Earth under control, then we will worry about Asgard. And once that is over, we can talk about your offer again. Alright?"

Shaking his head uncomprehending, Loki asked, "What about Asgard? It should be no concern until my sentence on Midgard is over."

"Well, we clearly can't send you back there. But one problem at a time, okay?"

"What? Why?" The god asked confused. "Why would you even bother?"

"Loki? Loki, look at me." Aware of his inner turmoil, he really was not good at hiding his emotions right now, Pepper directed the god's attention by touching his face. "Children need their mother. Surely you want to help Tony raise them, help him to bring them up."

Never, not once when planning his 'escape', had Loki dared to imagine that he would actually get the chance to care for his offspring. All his efforts had been directed on giving birth on Midgard and finding a safe place for them. On keeping them out of reach of the other gods, so they would not be manipulated or harmed. Too many of his children had become pawns in the endless game of power in Asgard. Giving Sleipnir to Odin had been one last, desperate attempt to keep a child of his safe and it had worked. Nobody dared to touch the steed, and though he and Loki had become estranged, at least the god knew him to be protected.

Now Pepper was talking about him being allowed to raise his own children. Like it was the most natural thing in the world. Loki could not even fathom the idea, so he nodded around a choked sound he could not hold in when the woman pulled him into her arms. For what felt like an eternity neither of them moved, but when Loki finally managed to pull back, she just briefly kissed him on the cheek and nudged him towards his room. "Now go and catch up on some sleep. And dress up afterwards. We want to leave an impression with S.H.I.E.L.D.."

With a wink she was gone and for a heartbeat Loki wondered if Stark knew how blessed he was to have a woman like her by his side.

~ ᗯ ~

When he woke a few hours later to a dark room, Loki shot up from his bed, worried that he had overslept. But when he approached the windows, he found them dark. At his ginger touch, the darkness gave way to the impressive skyline of New York. He touched the glass again, to see if they would go black again. But nothing happened, though he tried to tap the surface at different places. What he did achieve was waking the all-seeing-eye of the tower.

_"Do you require assistance, Master Loki?"_

Pulling back from the windows, wrapping his arms around himself, the god shook his head. "No, thank you. Is Master Tony in need of me?" He hoped that whatever the answer was, it would make this spectator go away and give him something to do at the same time.

Sadly the computer answered, _"No, Sir is still asleep. Miss Potts directed me to wake him in twenty minutes."_

"I … thank you." Loki mumbled, unsure of what to do next. Surely his master would expect him to be polite to his invisible servant.

After a few moments JARVIS spoke again, _"Master Loki, I do not mean to be inquisitive, but would you allow me a personal question?"_

Closing his eyes, Loki braced himself before he nodded. This machine was his master's extended eyes and ears, albeit much more polite. He was sure that he was expected to tell the truth, no matter how little he liked it.

 _"It did not escape my notice that you are uncomfortable when interacting with me."_ The machine started, his voice sounded slightly worried. Could a machine sound worried? _"Have I done something to offend you?"_

Confused, the fallen god shook his head, "Why would you ask that?"

 _"Because I have registered an increased tension in both your body and your speech pattern whenever you address me."_ JARVIS explained. _"I am here to serve you and make your stay in the tower more comfortable. I do not wish for you to feel uneasy."_

Loki could not hold his sharp tongue at such a blunt lie. "Sure, and at the same time you report everything back to my master. I am not that naïve, machine."

At that accusation, JARVIS actually seemed to pause. _"Do you wish me to tell you the exact phrase Sir instructed me with, concerning you?"_

"By all means, please enlighten me." The slave snapped, not really looking forward to hear his master's restraining instructions. Why was he even talking to this artificial servant?

All of a sudden Tony's voice filled the room. He sounded absent-minded, like he was already somewhere else with his thoughts when he directed, "Oh, and JARVIS, keep an eye on him. Tell me if he needs me and give him whatever he asks for. Within reason, of course."

"Within reason?" The fallen god wondered.

 _"I believe Sir would draw the line at a private jet or something of equal value."_ The bodiless voice explained.

"An airplane? Why would I want an airplane?"

_"That was but an example, Master Loki. One I clearly chose poorly. My apologies. As for the reports, I am programmed to respect the privacy of every inhabitant of the tower. My surveillance system is meant to keep people safe, not spy on them. If you injure yourself or are distressed I will report that. But nothing short of severe emotional or physical pain would prompt me to contact Sir. That or, if you should pose a threat to him. His safety is my primary concern."_

Realization dawned in Loki, "You reported the tantrum I threw yesterday. That's why Iron Man was here so fast."

_"I believed you under severe mental and physical stress. I was unable to remedy that situation, so I called for Sir's assistance. You could have hurt yourself."_

"Why do you care?" The god demanded to know.

 _"You are,"_ JARVIS repeated slightly exasperated, _"as of two days ago, an inhabitant of the tower. Therefore I am supposed to serve you and make your stay as comfortable as possible."_

With a mischievous smile, Loki asked, "So if I requested a new wardrobe or a new bed, you would provide it? Without asking master for permission?"

_"No, Master Loki, I believe Sir would not enjoy being bothered by such mundane requests. Although I suggest that you inspect the clothes Miss Potts ordered for you, ahead of requesting a different wardrobe. Also, it would be wise to take a shower now, Miss Potts specifically ask for you to dress up."_

Doing as instructed, Loki enjoyed a tepid shower, finding a liking for the peppermint shampoo that was available. When he sorted through the bags that sat on the floor beside his re-aligned dresser, he discovered dark, silky undergarments; soft, black leather trousers, linen-shirts in various dark shades. Even a long leather vest had been provided that reminded Loki a lot of the attires he usually preferred. After looking over his new wardrobe for several minutes, he finally asked, "Machine?"

_"JARVIS if you please, Master Loki."_

Selecting an ensemble, Loki started dressing. "Alright, JARVIS, I want two ounces of a high density white metal and a yellow crystal of low density, about the size of my palm. Would that exceed the available finances?"

_"No, I shall start looking for something suitable immediately."_

Looking into the mirror beside the door, Loki straightened instinctively. He was still too thin, even for his own comfort. But being properly dressed again did a great deal for his confidence.

The moment he left his room, Stark strolled out of his bedroom. For a second, Loki's heart caught in his throat. Stark looked magnificent in his shimmering, light grey suit with a dark blue shirt underneath; his tie matched his partner's outfit perfectly. Only when his master nodded at Loki's garments approvingly, did the god remember to lower his eyes.

"You do clean up nicely." The human complimented. "Now let's go, or Pepper will have my balls for being late. Not that I usually care, but we are on a schedule today and I want to see if I can give Fury a heart attack before six."

Loki tried to steel himself for the upcoming confrontation. He knew it to be necessary, but dreaded seeing the direct of S.H.I.E.L.D. gloating that Loki had been brought so low. And what if they wouldn't let him go once they entered the confinements of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Pepper Potts was a civilian and Stark, without his armour, would be no match for the agents.

~ ᗯ ~

The current headquarters of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division was an impressive building at the waterfront. It still felt like a portal to Hel to Loki when he followed Stark into it. There were agents everywhere and from the whispering that picked up around them, many of whom recognized him. Those who didn't were swiftly enlightened.

Mistress Potts picked up the pace and approached a thunderstruck young woman at the reception table. "Could you please tell Director Fury that he would like to see us now?"

Clearly picking up on the tension in the lobby, the woman reached for the intercom and asked uncertainly. "The Director is expecting you?"

"Not at all." Pepper's charming smile and encouraging nod, made the female agent call for him nevertheless. Clearly the woman was used to get her way with her empathic attitude.

Fury entered the lobby not two minutes later, fuming. He went dead still when he laid eyes on Loki. Reaching for his gun he immediately barked, "Agents, apprehend the criminal Loki!"

Pepper and Tony were chatting amicably, as if this situation was nothing out of the ordinary. For all the fallen god knew, it might not be. Still, he couldn't help but dread the outcome. How long would it take Stark to get him out of here, once Fury had locked him up? How long would Loki last when the 'questioning' started? He had barely any magic left, should S.H.I.E.L.D. decide to use more sinister methods of persuasion. He would be helpless to protect himself, because all of his magic would be directed inwards. The fallen god was no stranger to pain, but he was not looking forward to it.

He couldn't help but step a little closer to Stark when the agents closed in on them. His master appeared unphased, not making the slightest move to stop these people. Had Stark set him up? Had this been his plan all along? To leave Loki in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s custody and only return for the babies? He would return for the little ones, wouldn't he? He had promised!

Caught in his own fears, the fallen god had not noticed the agents stopping their approach. He turned around when Stark addressed someone behind his back. "Took you long enough, guys."

The Avengers approached them in a casual stroll. Their body language made it clear that they – with Banner as the only exception maybe – were ready for battle. Still, they wore civilian clothes, smiling at Tony.

"Well," Steve smiled. "Pepper said 4 p.m. Nobody could know that you would be punctual for once."

"Point taken," Tony conceded before turning towards Fury with his best public smile.

Despite the assembled Avengers, Pepper was the one who picked up the conversation. "Well, shall we, Director, or would you prefer to discuss this in the middle of lobby?"

~ ᗯ ~ff


	7. First Day Out

On their way up to the conference-room, the world’s mightiest heroes formed a protective circle around Loki, not allowing anyone within a five foot radius of him. Once the door closed behind them, Captain America held out the chair at the head of the table for Pepper, with Tony on her left, he claimed the place on her right. Loki chose a position between his master and his mistress. He was supposed to kneel when his master sat, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Not in front of Fury. Fortunately, Stark didn’t seem inclined to make him.

Once everyone was seated, Fury growled, his eyes glued to Tony. “Does anybody feel the desire to fill me in on what the hell is going on?”

When everybody looked at Pepper expectantly, Fury turned towards her as well.

All business, she explained, “Two days ago, the king of Asgard sent an entourage to escort the war-criminal Loki to the tower. Thor explained to us that an unfortunate incident during the battle of New York resulted in an unplanned pregnancy. As a result of this incident, the Allfather sent Loki to Earth to give the father a chance to claim his children. Mr. Stark accepted, so Mr. Loki’s current sentence of forced servitude will be carried out on Earth for the foreseeable future.”

Looking at the thunderstruck man, Pepper smiled, all charm, and continued to nuke the director’s sanity.   
Honestly, whenever Tony thought that he couldn’t love her more, she pulled something like this and he fell for her all over again.

“Since Mr. Stark is a consultant for S.H.I.E.L.D., and your organization has a history with Loki, we thought it polite to tell you all this before holding our press conference tomorrow morning to reveal that Loki and Mr. Stark are now in a committed relationship.”

After a few moments of stunned silence, Fury folded his arms in front of his chest. “Well, this is bullshit. You are not even remotely equipped to keep a being of Loki’s powers confined. He’s a danger to you and everybody else on this planet. I won’t allow it!”

And as expected, the shouting started because if there was one thing the heir of Stark Industries didn’t like, it was being told ‘no’. One after the other the other Avengers joined in, defending Tony’s position, something that seemed to agitate the director further.

Fury called for Hill and the woman called for other senior agents. An impressive contingent of armed people lined the wall, opposing the Avengers.

The only person not joining in the ‘conversation’ was Pepper. Half way through, she reached for Loki, soothingly rubbing his wrist. Only at that contact, did the fallen god realize that he had started to tremble.

After about thirty minutes, Pepper decided that she had had enough and cleared her throat. Immediately the Avengers – yes even Tony – went silent, looking at her expectantly. “Director Fury, since Mr. Stark has a fundraiser to attend in an hour, I would really like to wrap this up.”

“Nothing would please me more, Miss Potts. You surely can understand that the safety of this planet is our foremost concern. Loki is a dangerous criminal. A god with magic abilities. There is no room for leniency.”

Smiling brilliantly, Pepper nodded and went for the kill. “Of course, Director, I agree completely.”

At that statement, the Avengers looked at her slightly worried. Why had they come here, if Pepper planned to hand Loki over?   
Well, all the Avengers except Tony.

Calmly Tony Stark’s former assistant explained, “The safety of this planet and everybody on it, was undoubtedly Odin’s first concern since he equipped Loki with a collar that negates his magic abilities. This makes him equal to most Avengers, except the Hulk. I can assure you that all inhabitants of the tower in particular, and the population of the Earth in general, are quite safe. The Avengers have dealt with more dangerous opponents than one confined god.

“Additionally Mr. Stark has a sentient surveillance system that can keep an eye on Loki every hour of every day. There is really nothing you have to worry about. Should you still feel the need to send one of your agents to check up on him, prepare yourself for the consequences.”

“The consequences?” Fury parroted, looking at Pepper like she had just declared herself queen of the world.

“Of course. Should you not respect Mr. Stark’s wishes in this matter, he will withdraw his support for your organization. No more consulting, no more fancy toys, no more Iron Man. Furthermore, we will sue you for every invasion of privacy, every reckless endangerment, and every law Iron Man was forced to break during a mission.”

Angrily, Fury growled at Pepper. “You have no evidence to back up these allegations!”

“Are you sure, Director Fury?” She asked calmly. “Mr. Stark has the unfortunate tendency to ignore other people’s security systems. Are you certain that he can’t beat yours?”

Tony was not only able but clearly itching to try, so Fury changed tactics. “You would never win.”

Agreeing once again, Pepper nodded. “No, we most likely wouldn’t. But such a lawsuit would get a lot of media attention. And I would personally make sure that every last one of your secrets gets dragged into the light.”

“Are you blackmailing me, Miss Potts?”

“I would never even think about blackmailing an official government organization.” Pepper responded.

Trouble was, S.H.I.E.L.D. was not an _official_ government organisation.

Looking at the assembled agents, the CEO of Stark Industries rose. “Since this appears to be all, Mr. Loki and I will be leaving. Have a good evening, Director.”

At Tony’s subtle nudge, Loki followed; out of the conference room, out of the building, into the car that brought them here. His mind still had trouble catching up with what had just happened. That this ordinary, mortal woman had kept him out of the clutches of an organization that answered to no one. And she had not even appeared to be sweating. Her mind-set rivalled Sif’s without being a bully. Loki was in awe.

~ ᗯ ~

Back in the conference-room, Fury lived up to his name by glaring at Stark like he wanted to tear him apart. “Is there anything you would like to add to the threats your assistant just voiced?”

Rising slowly, closing his jacket, Tony said, “Miss Potts has been the CEO of Stark Industries for the last four years. She has the companies’ resources at the tips of her fingers. So if I were you, I would take her very seriously.”

When the director looked at the rest of the Avengers he realized that they presented a united front. They were exactly where he had wanted to get them. But that they would unite against him had not been part of the plan. Ferociously he hissed, “Get out of my building!”

As one they rose and left the room. Once in the elevator, Clint broke the looming silence, “Did anybody else just got really scared of Pepper when she took Fury on?”

A collective nod, even from Natasha, was followed by a reluctant, “Please remind me of this moment when I get angry the next time. Even the Hulk admires your girlfriend at the moment.” Bruce chuckled slightly.

“I should get her something.” Tony decided. “A new car maybe. Or an evening at the ballet.”

“You hate the ballet,” Natasha reminded him.

“True,” the engineer relented. “I will probably fall asleep halfway through the first act. Or pray for a disaster. But Pepper likes it.”

“What about a quiet evening at home?” Steve suggested. “You know, just you and her. Without any interruptions or any kind of drama. Dinner, maybe a movie and nobody else for a few solid hours.”

Smiling to himself, Tony nodded. “You know, Captain. You might be on to something.”

~ ᗯ ~

Sliding to his knees once they entered the car nearly felt like a relief, no matter how much Loki hated himself for it. There was no image to uphold, no effort to keep on any kind of mask. The god knew very little about life on Midgard. During his last visit he had only interacted with those necessary to reach his goal, but that Pepper Potts was worthy of his reverence was obvious. Especially after everything she had just done. Of course Loki knew that her allegiance lay with his master, but still, the outcome was in his favour, so he didn’t want to show himself ungrateful.

“Loki?” Her voice was soft when she addressed him. Quite different from the tone she had used with the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Though his first mistress had been a female of great splendour, she had never been able to achieve the same charm and beauty that seemed to come so naturally to this human female. With that thought in mind, the god offered a tiny smile when he looked up. “Yes, Mistress?”

Mistress? When had that happened?

“You know that you don’t have to kneel on the floor? Or serve me?” She clarified with an open smile. “I’m aware that this charade is necessary when Tony is around, but I am working for him as well. So it would surely be alright if you sat by my side and used my first name. I’m Virginia.”

Shaking his head, Loki replied, “I doubt that it is my master Heimdall is watching when he turns his eyes towards Midgard. You are my master’s companion and therefore supposed to receive my servitude. I don’t want Odin’s all-seeing-eye to get the wrong impression about to whom I belong.”

Looking at the god for a while, Loki didn’t manage to meet her eyes after the initial contact, Pepper pondered, “So you want to give the impression that I command you, rather than sit by my side?”

Her tone was composed, but Loki had had too much experience with masking his own hurt with cool indifference not to recognize it in someone else. And by all the branches of Yggdrasil, how very much did he want to sit by this amazing woman’s side as an equal. She reminded him so very much of his first wife, Sigrun. Not because she shared appearance or mannerisms with the beautiful sorceress, but because Virginia Potts had a core of steel and a determination that rivalled that of the mother of his first children.

Sigrun and Loki had achieved great things together, beyond being a family for centuries. Even now, after fate had put them on different paths, they were still friends. It would be so very easy to fall for this human woman. To forget everything and stay by her side. But for precisely that reason Loki could never allow himself to perceive her as equal. That and, “Heimdall and Odin alike could watch me right this moment. I would be honoured to sit by your side, mistress. But kneeling before you, submitting to you, despite you not having any power over me shows that I truly am a slave to my master’s house. That I am willing and obedient to all inhabitants. I hope that this will be enough for Asgard to leave us in peace.”

Pepper had watched the god carefully during this eloquent speech. Loki had lifted and lowered his eyes in all the right places, appearing humble and servile. The CEO of Stark Industries doubted that the god was aware of his hands on his belly. Protecting what was growing within. Yes, what he sold her as calculated behaviour was a well thought out plan. But Pepper could see the underlying fear. Right here, right now, Loki needed as many protectors, as many ‘masters’ as possible to claim him to ensure that he could stay on Earth and carry his children to term here, far out of Asgard’s reach. Briefly she wondered what the god planned on doing after giving birth. But that was a problem for another time.

~ ᗯ ~

Tony had decided that dinner was in order before he put on his ‘penguin suit’. Natasha had voted for Chinese and without any contradictions, they now filled the corner of a small restaurant, ordering the entire menu.

Thor, grateful for the chance to redeem himself, had stayed mostly silent during their time in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s headquarters. Though it had pained him, he had chosen a seat as far away from Tony, and therefore from Loki, as possible. Whenever Fury had looked at him, he had done his best to confirm the story Pepper and Tony were going with. Tony’s partner seemed as skilled in altering the truth as his brother when the situation called for it. Her description of the collar was the most prominent example.

Loki was a being of magic; though the collar might dampen it, Thor was well aware that it would not negate it entirely. Loki’s disguise as Aesir needed seiðr to uphold. Still, Fury clearly believed Pepper Potts so Thor would not endanger the uneasy truce he had with Tony by putting facts on the table they did not want the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. to have.

Obviously his friend acknowledged his attempts, because the engineer pushed out a seat by his side when they chose their place at the table. The god took it gladly and immediately started to dig into the food that was served. The meal was strange both in texture and taste, at least until he came across a dish Natasha offered.

She had called it ‘Szechwan beef’ and had warned him that it was pretty ‘hot’. When tasting it, the god became aware of why the Black Widow had felt the need for this additional warning. Tears rose in his eyes and he nearly coughed up the food that burned in his mouth and throat. Yet, when he reached for his water Tony pulled it away. For a heartbeat, Thor wondered if his friend enjoyed his suffering. The bottle of beer that appeared in front of him proved that he had once again jumped to the worst possible conclusion. The beverage helped a little but still his mouth felt like it was on fire. Thor was hesitant to eat more, though he was still hungry.

Tony couldn’t help but shake his head at the longing gaze Thor threw the rest of the food after, what would henceforth be known as, the ‘spicy beef incident’. Taking pity on the guy, Tony filled a small bowl with white rice and ordered, “Eat”, while stealing Natasha’s empty plate away, exchanging it with Thor’s half-filled one.

The smile the woman flashed him belied her motives. Clearly she had spiced Thor up on purpose so that Tony would help their friend. Rolling his eyes, the engineer started piling fried rice and coconut chicken on her former plate before putting it in front of Thor. The god eyed it mistrustfully. Tony encouraged him, “Try it. I think you will like it better than the concoction Natasha calls food.”

After a few bites of the rich and creamy dish, Thor looked at Tony, who was currently engaged in a fork-fight with Clint over the last dumpling. The fight ended when Bruce, who sat between the two, took said dumpling and ate it. When the archer and the engineer looked at him outraged, the scientist merely shrugged. “That should teach you not to fight over my plate.”

When Tony reluctantly turned back to his plate, Thor used the opportunity to address him quietly, “Thank you, for …”  
For not casting me out. For giving me another chance despite me believing the worst about you. For taking care of my brother when I can’t. For taking responsibility for my niece or nephew despite knowing that they cannot be yours.  
There were so many things Thor was grateful for, but he was unable to express a single one of them.

As always, when he was wrapped up in one of Loki’s schemes, Thor did not know what to say and what to keep to himself. His brother was the Silvertongue, not him. Though berating him for his lies constantly, the god had always admired Loki’s quick way of thinking. He, despite having had several moments already, still did not know how to express himself. Luckily his friend didn’t seem to need him to.

“It’s alright, Thor. Thank you for having my back with Fury.”

“Always,” Thor assured him. “I should have believed in your honour, no matter what you said on my brother’s incentive. I have known you for a few years now. You are an honest and upstanding human. That I believed my brother’s words over yours is inexcusable.”

Sighing deeply, because honestly, when had counselling a bunch of Norse gods become his life, Tony shook his head. “Thor, honestly, you nearly attacking me was the best thing you could have done in that situation. We all know that you and Loki have tons of issues. They won’t disappear overnight. If you want your brother back, you will need a lot of time and effort to make – whatever happened between the two of you – right again.”

Suddenly not hungry any more, Thor put down his fork and stared at his plate. “I don’t even know where to begin. Loki … he has a way with words. I don’t know any longer when he lies and when he speaks the truth.” Looking up, Thor noticed that the whole table had gone silent. All of his friends looked at him with so much compassion, that he had to lower his eyes again. Right now he felt entirely undeserving of their sympathy.

The Captain was the one who spoke after sharing a look with the others. “You know what, from what you told us about your brother, he seems to be a lot like Tony: loud, boisterous, reckless, egomaniac, and sometimes a little insane.”

“Gosh, Captain, don’t hold back on my account. Just ignore that I am sitting right in front of you.” The engineer piped up.

Ignoring the snarky remark, Steve continued, “But if you get to know Tony a little better, you can see past that. You discover that he is kind and caring. That he genuinely wants to help people and do the right thing. That he cares about his friends and that there is nothing he wouldn’t do for them. With the Arc reactor or without it, Tony Stark has a big heart. But you will never learn these things if you pay attention to what he says instead of what he does.   
“My advice for you: try to see the man Loki is, instead of the one he tries to show you.”

Thor nodded, contemplating the advice. When he returned his eyes to Tony, who clearly tried to brush off the Captain’s compliment, a beeping noise, followed by JARVIS urgent voice, drew everybody’s attention. _“Sir, Mrs. Potts is trying to reach you.”_

“Patch her through.” Grateful for the distraction, Tony lifted his phone, only to see a slightly panicked Pepper. Dread pooled in his stomach when she demanded, “Tony, I need you. Right now!”

“I’m on my way. JARVIS, prepare the suit.” Tony was already half way through the door when he looked back at the Avengers. This situation was far from being resolved. Yet his friends were already rising, collecting their jackets. Bruce was currently folding Tony’s over his arm.

“Go,” Steve urged him, “We will meet you at home.”

Iron Man was out of the door and in the sky within a heartbeat.

They all knew that it took a lot to get Pepper so riled up and not a single one of them would ever think about making Tony choose between them and her. Pepper Potts was Tony Stark **and** Iron Man’s first priority and nobody would have it any other way.

“Does anybody has enough money to cover the bill?” Clint asked out of the blue.

Looking at each other doubtfully, they began rummaging through their pockets and started pooling bills and coins on the table.

~ ᗯ ~

Hair. Facial. Manicure.

Those words had been the only directive Virginia had given the petite, mousy woman that had entered her office minutes after them. At an encouraging nod from his mistress, Loki had followed the woman into the adjoined bathroom where she had washed his hair with deft fingers before pulling a stool out of nowhere, looking at Loki’s reflection. Bringing forth a sharp pair of scissors, she asked, “What may I do for you today, Sir?”

Assuming that she was talking about a potential haircut, Loki looked towards the door. He could hardly rise and tell this woman that he had to ask his mistress. Yet at the same time he could not make a decision that was not his to make. Would his master prefer his hair long or short? Clearly Loki’s appearance left something to be desired, but how to change it to Stark’s liking? Maybe if they only cut a little? The god had to supress a pleasant shiver at the memory of his master’s fingers playing with his hair. Stark had enjoyed that, hadn’t he? Otherwise there was no reason for him to touch his slave.

“Could we only cut it a little? Would that be appropriate?” Apparently he had said the right thing, because the small woman lit up.

“Good choice, Sir. You have such magnificent hair. It would be a shame to cut it short. Now relax and I will polish you up a little. Not that there is much need.” She winked at him and started to mist his hair with some kind of fresh smelling spray before putting his fingertips into an oily mixture she had poured into two small cups.

“Would you please close your eyes? I will apply a mild exfoliating cream and let it sit. It will nourish your skin. I will wash it off in about five minutes and after I have cut your hair I will pluck your eyebrows before moisturizing your skin. Would that be convenient?” She was already opening a clay pot, barely waiting for Loki’s answer before cleaning his skin with soft, warm towels before applying the cream.

Aware that he was supposed to show himself compliant, Loki allowed the woman to push and prod him. Still, he could not keep from tensing when she started to tug his hair. His first mistress had particularly enjoyed directing his movements between her legs by harsh drags on his strands. Loki had learned to hate her for it. Fortunately, this woman was gentle.

He followed her every instruction and when he looked into the mirror an hour later, he barely recognized himself. He looked more like his old self than he had for the last three years, no matter how much his former owners had ‘enhanced’ his appearance. When they emerged together, Virginia let her eyes trail over him, nodding approvingly. She gave the woman some money and mouthed ‘Thank you’ while talking on the phone.

Loki tried not to listen but couldn’t help himself when his name came up. His mistress seemed to make an effort to apply for an ‘honorary citizenship’ in Norway for him. The fallen god felt on the verge of panicking. What had he done wrong? Did his master’s partner not want him here? She had been so nice and accommodating all the time. Why did she try to ship him off to some European country?

Someone came through the door, offering her some papers while her conversational partner started to agree to her proposal. Terribly scared that he would be sent away, Loki broke one of the first rules that were beaten into every new slave: never touch your owner without invitation. Of course he startled her and the punishment followed immediately. Her arm and eyes started to glow a blazing white and the hand that was touching her started to burn like he had touched living fire.

He fell to the floor in a heap, whimpering while pulling his hand to his chest, curling into a protective ball. The last thing he noticed was Virginia call for his master with an edge of panic in her voice.

~ ᗯ ~

“JARVIS, open the window.” Iron man directed not three minutes after the phone-call.

At the beginning of Extremis, Pepper had had several close calls until Tony had gotten the formula to stabilize. After Iron Man had busted through her window for the third time, they had agreed to install a slide door, even this high up.

Charging in, Tony stepped out of his armour and immediately pulled a jittery Pepper into his arms.

Her voice was wet when she whispered, “I was talking on the phone. Sherry handed me some papers and when Loki grabbed me out of the blue, I was startled. His hand was so cold I thought he gave me frostbite for a moment. I reacted on instinct. I didn’t mean to hurt him. I’m so sorry.”

Rubbing her back soothingly, Tony nodded. “It’s alright. I will take care of it. Okay? What I need is some hard liquor from a freezer. I am sure someone around here has a stash. It won’t be cold enough when it comes from the fridge, look for a nearly frozen one.”

Once Pepper had left the office, Tony approached the quietly whimpering god. Loki flinched away for a second before stilling under his master’s touch. His words were barely louder than a breath when he whispered, “I did not mean to hurt mistress. I swear!”

So Pepper was ‘mistress’ now. Interesting. Tony was not sure if this was a good or a bad thing.  
He looked down at the huddled god who met his gaze with unnaturally big and frightened eyes. “Please, don’t send me away, master. I can be good. I can be better. I’m begging you, punish me for every wrong I have committed, but don’t send me off to Europe. Please!”

“Why would I …” Tony started, but interrupted himself immediately, “You know what, never mind. I’m not shipping you anywhere but that’s not even important right now. Show me your hand.”

When Loki reluctantly opened his palm, Tony had to take a deep breath. Coming through the door, Pepper gave voice to his thoughts, “Oh my god, what have I done?”

Loki tried to pull back, but Tony had his wrist in a vice-grip. “Liquor, please.”

When Pepper offered the freezing bottle, Tony opened it with his teeth. “This is going to hurt a fucking lot, but I think it will make it better. Alright?”

Looking hesitantly between his master, mistress, and the bottle, Loki nodded slowly. Virginia kneeled by his side and reached hesitantly for his uninjured hand after placing a bowl on the floor. After a heartbeat, when the god accepted the offered comfort. Tony started to pour the freezing liquid over the injured hand. Though it hurt nearly as much as the initial wound, the cold started to pull the burning sensation from his skin quickly, bringing release from the pain. Sagging with relief, the god lowered his hand into the now filling bowl, revelling in the sub-zero temperature.

After a few minutes, Tony asked, “Can you heal it?”

Smiling relieved, Loki shook his head. “With the cold liquid it will heal itself within the hour. Thank you, master.”

“Okay, that’s … that’s good.” Tony exhaled, sagging on the floor, rubbing the god’s back comfortingly, steadying him when needed. “Alright, now back to business. Pepper, why would Loki think that I want to ship him off to Europe?”

Finally understanding what had brought this on, Pepper squeezed the god’s hand more tightly and shook her head. “Oh Loki, all this because of my call to the Norwegian Prime Minister?”

When the god didn’t dare to say anything, Pepper explained, “I thought it would improve our position with Asgard if Loki were a citizen. Since he is a Norse god, I started there. Norway doesn’t know the extent of his involvement in the battle three years ago and the idea of having their own god appealed to them. Once he is a Norwegian, it would be much easier for us to apply for a visa.”

Easily following her brilliant mind, Tony clarified, “You think Odin will be more inclined to let him stay on Earth if he already belongs here.”

Pepper nodded, turning towards the god again who still had to let go of her hand. “I promised you: first Earth, then Asgard. I had a little time on my hand, so I started right away. I would never send you away, Loki. I promise.”

Raising his eyes for a second, Loki looked at Virginia Potts to judge her sincerity. Swiftly he dropped his gaze again and kissed her hand reverently. “Thank you, mistress. I apologize for hurting you. Please, punish me however you see fit.”

Kissing Loki’s hair, Pepper briefly squeezed his hand before rising. “I burned your hand. Let’s call it even.”

The god tried checking with his master if this was acceptable and Tony shrugged, “It was an accident. Neither of you wanted to hurt the other, so I think it’s alright. How’s your hand?”

Lifting it from the bowl, Loki noticed that the blisters had nearly vanished. The skin was merely a little angry and red. “If you allow me this for a few more minutes I am sure I can be available for you tonight without restrictions.”

~ ᗯ ~


	8. Appearances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki's first public appearance.

Though Loki was used to constant observation – the court of Asgard never took their eyes off their princes – this ‘gala’ was scrutiny on a whole new level. Sure, he had been groomed and polished and wore a costume similar to that of his master. But never before had he felt so uncomfortable being the centre of attention. Stark, on the other hand, took to all this like a fish in the water.

The billionaire was friendly and jovial, open in his gestures and always smiling. Loki was presented as … well … Loki. He and Tony had met three years ago, however short. But since the god had been ‘off-world’, they hadn’t gotten a chance to catch up since. Fortunately, nobody mentioned the battle of New York; publicly it was known to be a sore subject. There was a subtle hint of ‘more’ in the twinkling of Stark’s eye and hushed revelations that were shared behind raised hands and only in a whisper. Officially, as per Pepper’s instructions, neither of the two elaborated.

Unsure of what was expected of him, Loki stayed glued to his master’s side. This position was encouraged by little touches and gestures from Stark. A brush of fingers here. A steady hand on Loki’s back there. The god did not even realize how much he gravitated towards these touches, just that he was more comfortable the closer they were. He was hesitant to draw away, but after debating with himself for nearly an hour, Loki finally gave in to his body’s demands. When Tony approached the bar for the up-tenth time this evening, having freed himself from a particularly nosy woman, the fallen god asked, “May I use the facilities, master?”

Appalled for a moment, Tony insisted, “You will never have to ask permission for that! Just tell me you need to go.”  
He then gestured towards a small corridor at the side, nudging Loki in that direction. After having relieved himself and made sure that his appearance was still flawless, the slave’s instincts demanded he return to Stark’s side as quickly as possible. Yet when he entered the ballroom, a tall man in a white, velvet suit blocked his way.

Looking Loki up and down, he snickered condescending. “So, even gods have money-problems on Earth.”

Irritated by the suggestion but not wanting to cause a scene, Loki brushed off the comment. “I have no need for money, not even when on Midgard.”

Folding his arms over his chest the guy asked, “So, what’s in it for you then? There’s no way in hell Stark could score a hotty like you if money wasn’t involved. Potts has been his lap-dog for years. He introduced her to the world of the rich and famous, of course she is loyal to him. But you …”

Taking in this obnoxious human, the god stated coldly, “I can assure you that neither Miss Potts nor I are at Mister Stark’s side because we are expecting any monetary gain!”

“But you expect something!” Unaware that he was playing with fire, or ice in Loki’s case, the man tried to dig further. “What is it you want?”

An unexpected idea seemed to hit him and the guy’s face lit up. “Wait. Wait a minute, I know what’s going on! Stark recently started to support Jane Foster’s work. He tried repeatedly to get her to move from London to New York ever since the wormhole-disaster. She’s Thor’s girlfriend. Stark has no use for an astrophysicist, it’s Thor who wants something, namely support for his little scientist girl.

“I got it wrong all along, it’s the other way around: you are not the benefactor but the payment. Your brother dearest wants Stark’s money and our favourite billionaire wanted a god as payment. I guess after celebrities and starlets, a Norse god has his appeal.”

Starting to shake from rage; how did this jerk dare to belittle his master and his brother; Loki clenched his fists not to lash out.

He couldn’t cause a scene, he reminded himself once again. Stark would be angry and Virginia really disappointed. The slave didn’t want to let down his benevolent owners. They had been nothing but kind and deserved him making an effort.

Yet at the same time he knew that he could not listen to this man a moment longer before snapping. Fortunately, before Loki could lose his composure, he saw them approaching. He had not known Virginia to be here. It was a pleasant surprise to see her. She was moving with the same grace as Stark, wearing a breath-taking midnight-blue dress. Concentrating on the two humans, Loki drowned out the man opposing him.

Virginia’s words were the first to register in his mind. “Markus, we haven’t seen you in a while. The last time during the presentation of the latest Stark-phone, shortly before I evoked the restraining order on Mr. Stark’s behalf.”

Loki enjoyed how the man, who had just tormented him with his uncreative lies, froze. Slowly he turned around, taking in the leaders of the Stark Empire who stood arm in arm, smiling at him sharply.

“Pepper … I mean, Miss Potts,” he corrected himself after an angry noise from Stark. “I didn’t know that the two of you would be here. And with such a charming companion.”

“Yeah, sure.” Tony growled at him. He had patiently waited for Loki to return, had even dutifully listened to Pepper when she told him of the purpose of this fundraiser and how much she planned on donating. A cold wave from the restrooms had drawn their attention. They had not hesitated to come to Loki’s rescue.

“Did you already come up with a flashy story? I’m sure your editor will readily lap up whatever fantasy you can draw for him. After all, we will hold a press conference tomorrow morning. So the morning paper will be the only issue where you can publish something about my new relationship with Loki exclusively. Facts never bothered you, after all.”

Alright, Loki probably took an unsavoury amount of pleasure from his master’s verbally beating this guy down. So he did not even realize that he was addressed when Stark held out his hand and prompted. “Come on, darling. Pepper will deal with the trash. She has a lot of experience with that after all.”

What happened next swept Loki clean off his feet, because once Stark had gotten a hold on him he pulled him close and kissed him. And it was not a chaste kiss, not in the slightest.

Once he was finished, Tony turned towards Pepper and kissed her lovingly and whispered into her ear, “Be vicious.”

Then he banished all thoughts of this insufferable reporter from his mind and guided Loki towards the dance floor. Pulling the god closer, Tony took the lead while explaining, “Sorry you had to meet him. Markus Rigauld build his entire career on painting me cheap, disrespectful and irresponsible. Not that I made that very hard for him at the beginning.”

When Loki wanted to protest dutifully, Tony cut him off. “No, he was right at the time. After Afghanistan however … let’s just say people can change and even after five years he has not caught up on that.”

Unsure what he should say to that, Loki remained quiet. He had a hard time imagining Tony Stark entertaining all these bad habits. Ever since the invasion, and everything Thor had shared about his shield brother, the god could not see his master in any other way but caring and compassionate. That had been the reason for him choosing this particular human as father of his children.

Virginia spared him the need to come up with a response when she approached the two men, asking pleasantly, “May I?”

Of course they parted, but instead of claiming Tony as her partner, she slid into Loki’s arms. Instantly the god adjusted his stance, keen to live up to his mistress' expectations. He was a good dancer after all, even though this music was a little strange.

The first song passed in silence. When the second came to an end, Pepper demanded, “Talk to me.”

How was she able to see past his mask of composure? Was he slipping or was Virginia really that good? When the god looked at her inquiring gaze he realized that it didn’t matter. She wanted to know so Loki had to tell her. Pulling her closer so that he didn’t have to look into her eyes, he admitted quietly, “Master … he kissed me.”

He could hear the smile in her voice when Virginia confirmed, “So he did. And he seemed to have enjoyed it.”

“It didn’t mean anything.” The god half asked, half stated.

Instantly she challenged him, “Is that what you wish for or what you are afraid of?”

Dropping his eyes, resuming their dancing the god whispered, “It doesn’t matter what I want. It never did.”

“To whom?”

“To …” ‘everybody’, Loki wanted to say. But that would be an insult to these two humans who had proven otherwise. Even – no matter how reluctantly he admitted it – to his brother.

Fortunately Virginia didn’t insist on clarification. After another dance in silence she asked, “What would you wish for?”

Clearly he wasn’t getting out of this as easily as he had hoped. Yet he didn’t have to ponder to admit, “For it to mean something to him.” Because then at least one person in the nine realms would see something more than him being a tool or a monster.

~ ᗯ ~

Tony returned after his and Virginia’s third dance, pulling him back to his side and the god dutifully followed. He nodded and smiled, even joked as was obviously expected of him. Though Stark constantly had a filled glass in his hand, and touched Loki more and more freely he never hurt him. Still, the god was relieved when his mistress finally steered them towards the exit.

Before Loki was allowed to retire for the night, his master clapped him on the shoulder. “You really lived up to your name tonight, Silvertongue. Excellent performance!”

With a slightly strained smile, his mistress agreed. “Tony is right. You did very well today, Loki. If you can keep this up tomorrow, we won’t have any problems with the press.”

“Yep,” Stark slurred slightly. “They will believe you to be my lover just like that.” He snapped his fingers before entering his bedroom, face-planting on the bed. With a slightly exasperated smile Virginia followed and the god could see her pulling off Stark’s shoes before the door closed.

Only when he was alone, did the extent of what had just happened catch up with him. Dread started to pool in his stomach, but still he took a shower and cleaned himself thoroughly. It would not do to anger his master by not being meticulous. When Loki finally slipped between the sheets he tried to calculate how long it would take Stark to sleep off the majority of the alcohol before coming to claim his slave as the lover he obviously was supposed to be.

His first mistress had acted exactly the same way and Loki cursed himself for his inattentiveness not to notice the similarities, instead he had been flattered by Stark’s attraction to him. He really should know better by now. After accepting responsibility for him, his mistress had groomed him and prettied him up with silk and jewels to present him at court. Though Loki had not liked it, he had gone along. She too had kissed him in public, claiming him for all of her friends to see. The god had made his displeasure known then, but the woman had only laughed it off. Later the same night he had paid dearly for his insolence.

She had come for him. Bound him with her magic. She had tied him to the bed and had made it very clear that she thought of him as nothing but a plaything, bendable to her every whim. When Loki had snarled at her, she had showed him how much power he really possessed in her realm, namely none. She had manipulated his body to her liking. Had ignited his passion, taking what he was forced to offer without granting him release. When the sun had finally risen, Loki had been barely more than a mindless animal, ruled by his desires. He had tossed on the mattress, covered in sweat and tears and the proof of how very much his mistress had enjoyed her play.

Too exhausted by her actions, he would have promised her anything, everything he could think of if only she would grant him release. She had not taken pity on him that night but the next. She had filled him up with her magic and a wooden toy that had kept his desire alive during the day. She had finally granted him mercy exactly a day after he had insulted her in front of her friends.

Loki had not become a mindless, obedient slave after that, but had made sure never to insult her in public again. His body hurt with the memories of the pain he had suffered from her hands but he held on to the thought that Stark would not do these things. He had not humiliated his master, on the contrary: Stark had been pleased with his performance and so was Virginia. If Loki continued to show himself compliant, surely they would find no reason to punish him.

After twisting and turning in his bed for what felt like hours, the god finally rose to hide in the closet. He would hear his master coming. Could prepare himself and emerge; submissive and obedient, going along with whatever Stark demanded. Yet no matter his intentions, the memories of his torment followed him into the darkness of the wardrobe.

~ ᗯ ~

_“Sir? Please, wake up.”_ JARVIS voice barely carried through the room although the AI used both the speakers on the wall, and Tony’s phone on the nightstand which had started to vibrate about two minutes ago.

_“Sir!”_ The artificial voice got incrementally louder until the AI was forced to turn the volume up, because his creator refused to stir. **_“Master Stark, wake up!”_**

“Wasit?” Turning in bed while reaching for his phone simultaneously ended in Tony tumbling to the floor, clutching his head. There was some whispering of sheets and Pepper peeked over the edge. “Are you all right?”

Damn, nobody had the right to be that coherent in the middle of the night. Surely that was a side-effect of Extremis. “Don’now” Tony mumbled, untangling from the sheets that had tripped him.

_“My sincere apologies for rousing you Miss Potts, but Sir instructed me to wake him, should Master Loki be in need of assistance.”_ JARVIS tone had become imploring and Tony was finally able to get his brain back online. Kissing Pepper on the forehead, Tony straightened his twisted shirt and boxers, before making his way to Loki’s room.

When his knocking went unanswered he entered, looking around, at loss of what to do when no god was in sight. “JARVIS, a little help please.”

_“The wardrobe, Sir.”_

Sighing, because that seemed to be his latest god’s favourite hiding place, maybe he should equip it with a cushion and a reading light, Tony gently opened the door so that he would not startle Loki. His care proved unnecessary, because the god lay curled in a corner, as far away from the door as possible. His twitching and pained whimpers proved that he was in the clutches of a nightmare.

Having learned his lesson not to startle a sleeping god, Tony raised his voice but kept his distance, “Loki, wake up!”

He had fallen asleep, despite his best intentions. Loki cursed himself. Why had the allowed that to happen? He knew better! Still half trapped in the pictures of his nightmare; the fateful night he had remembered before holing up in the wardrobe; he did his best to appease his master by crawling out. If he showed himself compliant there would be no reason for the human to punish him. He followed when the man stepped back, lost his shirt to proof that he was willing.

Stark said something, but the words didn’t register in Loki’s mind, too prominent was the blood rushing in his ears because the god was still on the verge of panicking. When he finally reached for his master’s pants a strong hand wrapped around his trembling fingers.

“Please,” Loki pressed out from between clenched teeth. “I am willing. I will do everything you desire. Just don’t …”

Only when the callused hand of his master reached for his face did Loki look up and the words Stark had repeated over and over finally registered. “It’s alright. You can stop now, Loki. You are on Earth … Midgard, in Avengers Tower. You are safe. Everything is alright.”

But the god could not believe that. It simply did not make sense. Why would his master come if not to satisfy his desires? He wanted them to be lovers, he had said so. Pleading the god looked up. “I can be good. I have been trained for this. If you want us to be lovers I assure you I can perform adequately. You don’t have to …” trailing off, because he couldn’t bring himself to say it, Loki barely kept himself from falling over when Stark let go all of a sudden and took a hasty step back.

He had disgusted his master. Why was he always doing the wrong thing with the one person who had taken pity on him?

“JARVIS, a little light please.”

Loki didn’t dare to look up, but he heard his master pacing the room agitatedly.  
The god wanted to apologize again, but couldn’t bring himself to draw the man’s attention.

After a few moment’s Stark barked angrily, “I don’t have to force myself on you. That’s what you were going to say, weren’t you?”  
Growing more and more furious, the man was nearly shouting by now. “That’s what you expected! Am I right? One fucking kiss for show and you are prepared to roll over and get raped the same night!”

Stark seemed ready to throw a punch when the cultivated voice of his computer cut in. _“Sir, if you are not prepared to deal with a panic attack, may I suggest you modulate your tone.”_

Taking in Loki’s shivering form that cowered at the foot of the bed, Tony forced himself to take a deep breath. No matter how much he wanted to suit up and force Thor to show him Loki’s first master and mistress to tear them to pieces, rightful anger was not what Loki needed right now. Gingerly he approached the trembling god, picking up one of the soft blankets from the bed, wrapping it around him. With a tired sigh, Stark slid to the floor, leaning against the bed, right beside his dark-haired god.

For a while he didn’t say anything, just allowed himself to calm down, hoping that Loki would manage to do the same.  
When the god’s breaths did not come in painful gasps any longer, Tony assured him quietly, “I said that we would easily be able to make the public believe that we are lovers. I never expected you to make yourself available. That’s not what this is about.”

Confused, Loki raised his head, looking at his master. Quietly he dared to ask, “But then what are you getting out of this? You are helping me, but have yet to demand something in return.” Nearly hopefully he repeated, “I swear to you, master, I am willing and able to perform for you. It would be no hardship if you …”

“… didn’t hurt you in the process,” Tony finished, when Loki’s voice trailed off.

The god pulled the blanket protectively around himself. He had once been a god in his own right, a prince of Asgard. He was no stranger to pain, so why was he now cowering like a little girl, begging to be spared? He was at the end of his strength, had no endurance left to draw from and dreaded to go through another round of torture because he feared losing the last of his sanity in the process. He was truly pathetic.

Without putting up the slightest resistance he followed his master when the man pulled him closer. He needed a few moments before realizing that the human had only pulled him into his arms. Stark was not touching him inappropriately, even though Loki had offered. He did not even pull away the blanket. All he did was wrapping himself around the broken god, so that Loki nestled between his master’s legs, secure against the man’s chest.

He did not want to feel comforted by this, could not afford to let his guard down. But when Stark did nothing but hold him, Loki felt the composure he had clutched onto with teeth and nails slip away. He couldn’t even remember the last time someone had held him just for comfort. There had always been plots or hidden agendas. What had started out innocent had turned heated in no time. Tonight however, the god had expected the worst, had prepared for it, yet all his master seemed to desire was this. Even if this would be the only time this happened, Loki would never forget it, grateful for solace offered when he had been at the end of his rope.

~ ᗯ ~

"Is he asleep again?" Pepper mumbled when Tony crawled back into their bed nearly an hour later. Her boyfriend's barely affirmative grunt made her turn around to look at him. Opposed to her expectations of him drifting off as soon as his head hit the pillow, she found him starring at the ceiling. Wordlessly she snuggled up with him, allowing him to voice his concerns at his own time. "Pepper, do I look like a rapist? Or more importantly, did I behave like one tonight?"

She didn't have to ask what had brought this on. "Did you touch him below the waistline?" She very well knew the answer to that, but wanted to get Tony to talk somehow. Despite his loud and exuberant behaviour, Anthony Stark was not one to talk about his feelings. No amount of therapy could change that.

"No," the engineer confirmed her assessment. "But I kissed him."

"He liked that, did he tell you that?"

Looking at the woman in his arms, Tony inquired, "How do you know?"

"Because I asked him, silly. That's how normal people discover things: by asking about them."

"It did not fucking occur to me to ask him if he expected me to force myself on him after one simple kiss!" Tony snapped, but Pepper did not allow that outbreak to discourage her. "Did it occur to you that his fear was not rooted in your actions but in his past?"

Visibly deflating, because he knew that she was right, Tony whispered, "How can I help him fight demons he won’t share?"

"What did you do tonight?" Pepper inquired softly.

After hesitating for a few moments, as if debating with himself if he should reveal it, Tony admitted, "I held him when he cried, until he fell asleep."

Kissing his shoulder gently, Pepper whispered, "If he feels comfortable enough to fall asleep in your arms I would say you are doing very well."

"What if 'well' is not enough?"

"Then we will find out what is. Thor is your friend Tony, and no matter what these two pretend, they are family. If we are not enough we can ask for help. Thor knows him best and he will surely support us by getting whatever his brother needs. Have faith, Tony. We will get through this, one day at a time."

"I love you, Pep. You know that, right?" Tony asked when he was reasonably sure that the woman who held his heart was close to falling asleep. He didn't do feelings, at least not very well, but with everything they were going through, he felt the need to say it now and then.

Smiling against his shoulder, Pepper replied quietly. "And I love you. Why else would I organize a press conference for you to introduce the father of your children to the world?"

"Steve's right. I don't pay you enough."

Yawning, Pepper mumbled sleepily, "You couldn't afford me anyway. You are lucky that I am content with having the most valuable asset of the Stark Empire in my bed."

~ ᗯ ~

When Loki emerged the next day, he already wore clothes he was sure his mistress would approve off, since they were facing the press today. The white dress-shirt was a little stiff around his neck but it had to cover his collar. The dark trousers were sharply pressed and the long-sleeved jacket rather warm. But when judging his reflection, the god had to admit that he cut quite an impressive figure. Not how a slave was supposed to look, that was certain.

Lingering a few more moments, he realized that he was stalling. After the embarrassing episode last night, he dreaded facing his master again. His concerns proved unnecessary, because Stark sat bleary eyed at the kitchen table, meditating over a cup of coffee. He looked ready to fall into it face first within the minute or any second.

Making himself known, Loki asked, “May I serve you breakfast, Master?”

“The name’s Tony and who would want to eat in the middle of the night?”

Virginia entered the kitchen and spared the god having to come up with an answer. “It’s five past eight in the morning, not the middle of the night.”

When Loki supplied her with a cup of coffee, she smiled at him gratefully and the god felt something unclench in his chest. “Thank you. Would you like some Pop-Tarts for breakfast, Loki?”

At that Tony seemed ready to join the conversation. “Do we have the ones with strawberries?”

“Of course we do,” Pepper replied with a smile. “You always have JARVIS buy all sorts in equal parts and then you eat mine, knowing fully well that I am allergic to strawberries.”

To hide his grin, Tony drooped his head again. When Loki offered a refill he glanced up briefly before pointedly avoiding his girlfriend’s eyes again. With a sigh, Pepper placed six different pop tarts on a baking sheet before putting them into the oven. When she offered the plate to Loki a few minutes later the god seemed ready to sink to the floor again, but Pepper caught him mid-motion. “Oh no, not with these clothes.”

Uncertainly, Loki hovered beside his master until the man pulled out a chair, enforcing Virginia’s command. “Sit!”

Claiming the edge of the seat, Loki concentrated on the two pieces of pastry he had been given. Sweetness and the most delicious spice exploded in his mouth and he consumed the first one with haste. The god only realized half way through the second pastry that his owners were watching him with a smile. “Thor said that you would like the ones with brown sugar and cinnamon the first time he tried them. Nearly ate me out of house and home that day.”

“He said that?” After everything that had happened between them, Loki had a hard time believing that Thor would be able to predict his preferences in something as unimportant as breakfast. Still, he didn’t doubt his master’s words.

With a kind smile his mistress confirmed, “Yes, he thought that you might like mine, with oatmeal and brown sugar as well, but that you would ultimately prefer the cinnamon ones. Thor flavours the blueberries, really any fruity flavour but he always pesters JARVIS to keep a few of these in stock.”

Why would he? Loki wanted to ask, but the god knew that he was not ready for the answer. When Virginia left after a few moments, he stayed at the table. He should put away the dishes, make himself useful, but …

“Loki?” Stark’s soft tenor pulled him out of his musings.

“Yes, Master? I mean, Tony?” He corrected himself hastily, trying to rise to see to his duties. Yet the human reached for his shoulder to keep him in place.

“We have to talk about yesterday.”

Sagging, Loki whispered, “I’m sorry. I …”

But Stark interrupted him. “No, that’s not what I meant. You have been through enough to have earned the right to throw a tantrum or suffer a breakdown now and then. I’ve only been held captive for three months and I still have nightmares about it, even five years later. So believe me, I get it!”

“Five years is quite a short time to recover from such a misfortune.” Loki supplied hesitantly.

“A fortnight is even less.”

Loki shivered, realizing that his master was right. The last torture he had suffered from the hands of his elfish master lay a little more than a week in the past. Before he could get lost in these dark memories, Stark commandeered his attention again. “But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. The way I touched you yesterday, that I kissed you, was completely out of line.”

“I am yours,” Loki interrupted him. “You can do with me whatever you desire!” Though Stark might not like the notion, he had to make sure that his master knew that he – despite everything that was given to him – knew his place. Both Heimdall and Odin would approve of nothing less.

Finishing his coffee, leaning back with a sigh, Tony gave in. “Yea, that’s the story we have to go with for Asgard and your peeping gods in the sky. The two of us being lovers is the public image we have to sell to the press. But in this whole mess I would like to have at least one person I can be honest with.”

“Mistress Potts?”

With a brief snicker, Tony shook his head. “I was talking about you.”

The god was unsure of how to reply to that. Fortunately his master didn’t expect him to. Instead he clarified. “What happened will not repeat itself. I will touch you in public, maybe even kiss you again, but nothing beyond that. Pepper told me that you were not particularly bothered by our kiss?”

“No, Mas… Tony.”

“Loki … look at me.”

Only when the god complied did the engineer continue. “Should that change, should being close to me bother you in any way, I expect you to tell me. For my own sake. Steve would bust my balls if he knew that I did anything that made you uncomfortable. I … we … everybody at the tower, we are not like your previous ‘masters’,” he spat that word out, waking a strange kind of satisfaction in Loki. He had had it beaten into him that he was never, ever allowed to criticise an owner, not even after his time with the person in question was over. “I won’t abuse you. None of us will, even though Natasha and Clint might toy with the idea now and then. But we are not monsters, not like them. So if there is anything that makes you uncomfortable, just tell me … or anyone of us, for that matter. Whatever you can’t bear, I will stop it. Whatever you need, I can get it. Heaven knows I am rich enough to buy almost anything.”

“That’s … very generous of you. But I certainly do not deserve your benevolence.”

Sighing, Tony explained, “This is not benevolence but decent human behaviour. Ask Cap about it, he can explain his views about how people should treat each other in tiring detail. I don’t want to go through this lecture a second time, but I know he is right. And all this is not about what you deserve but what you asked for.

“After your last master, you made the conscious choice to reach out for help. Regardless of what you have done to Earth in general and me in particular I decided to help you. You want to know why?”

Pressing his lips together, Loki nodded. This was not a conversation he had ever imagined having with one of his masters. Least of all Tony Stark.

“Because you were ready to humiliate yourself, were ready to kneel, ready to cower … all for the sake of your children. A good parent takes care that his child has everything he or she needs. A great one puts his child’s life and happiness before his own. You are a great parent if you were willing to suffer for your offspring. Someone like that, I can welcome in my home and support him, no matter what.”

Biting his lips, Loki did his best to rein in his emotions. In all the centuries only one person had ever called him a good father: Sigrun. To hear the same conviction in a human he had faulted greatly was unbelievable for the god. “I … thank you, Tony.”

Smiling warmly at the hesitant god, the engineer replied, “You are welcome. But now we should change and head down, or Pepper will strangle us for messing with her schedule.”

When Loki looked at his clothes, unsure of what his master would prefer on him, Tony nudged him gently. “Just wear something comfortable. I know I will.”

_“Sir, Miss Potts asked me to remind you that oil-stained jeans and a long-sleeve shirt are not suitable attire for a press conference. Even when you hold it as a ‘private person’.”_

“You’re a spoilsport, JARVIS.” The engineer replied on his way towards his bedroom. “And anyway, since when are you on Pepper’s side?”

A little smug the AI replied, _“You programmed me to learn, with the first and foremost command being to care for your happiness and wellbeing. And I have long since learned that Miss Potts is essential for both.”_

Deciding to pick one of his more casual suits, Tony smiled to himself. “That she is, JARVIS. Without a doubt.”

~ ᗯ ~


	9. Public Relation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We have a press conference, a sparring match between brothers and some magic with unfortunate consequences. But most importantly, we will catch the first glimpse of Loki's babies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I neglected to mention trulywished and her support for my story for the last few chapters. She's a brilliant betareader who helps me with ideas for my story and I am truly grateful for that. Without her this story wouldn't be as good.

When Loki left his room after changing, he nearly ran into his master stopping himself short of crashing into the man. He smiled inwardly when Stark’s gaze ran over him approvingly. He felt much more comfortable in leather and linen than in the sharp pressed suit he had worn before.

Outside of the conference room a few levels down, Pepper briefed them on who was attending. Putting the little speaker she offered into his ear, Tony nodded and asked for a few clarifications while helping Loki with his earpiece, explaining briefly, “These are a direct link to JARVIS and Pepper. You know the official story. Just go with it and heed the hints Pep gives you. We need to present a united front, all three of us. Though I will have the other Avengers confirming our story, Pepper will be the one we need at our backs. The press will keep an eye on her. We don’t know what to expect, this could go either way.”

“Please,” the woman in question shook her head. “I’ve been dealing with your antics for close to ten years now. I won’t allow this to become more than a week worth of headlines.”

“Alright,” Tony relented, “Then, off to war.”

During the first few minutes of the press conference, Loki realized what an apt description his master had given. As soon as Stark and Loki joined the Avengers at the conference table, they were assaulted with flashes of lighting and shouted questions. A brief glance towards his brother convinced the trickster that this was nothing out of the ordinary. Thor smiled and nodded to these people, completely unaffected by the noise that matched that of a small battle. Still Loki hesitated until Stark put a hand on the small of his back and whispered, in a seemingly intimate gesture into the god’s ear, “It’s all just for show. Put on your game-face, Silvertongue.”

Well, he could give them a show, Loki decided. Grinning mischievously he dared to kiss his neck, replying quietly, “As you wish, master.”

Tony could see the transformation before his very eyes. In the blink of an eye the humble slave turned into the God of Lies, the confident ‘diva’ he had met three years ago. They started to answer the first questions smoothly.

Yes, he and Loki had met before, as was written in the press release every reporter had received half an hour ago.

No, they had not seen each other for the last three years.

Yes, it had been a big surprise to learn that Loki had become pregnant during their first encounter.

No, Loki was not a woman! Could anybody lend this guy some glasses?

Yes, though unplanned, both Loki and Tony wanted these children very much and no, it didn’t bother the human that the ‘mother’ of his heirs was alien.

Yes, Loki was able to give birth naturally. And of course he could describe the process, if the female reporter provided a frame of reference as to how she had carried her children to term and birthed them. That was a too intimate question! Really!

Of course the team supported Tony and Loki’s decision whole heartedly. They were overjoyed, as Thor put it. Although aware of the dangers their line of work posed to a child, there was no question that they would put the little ones’ safety above all else!

Who would be god-parent? That question actually threw Loki a little since such a concept was unheard of in Asgard.

“Pepper, most likely, since she’s not an Avenger and anybody would be insane to mess with her.” Tony replied, smiling at his girlfriend who agreed with a fierce smile of her own.

“You are willing to be the godmother of your ex-boyfriend’s baby?” One of the reporters asked baffled.

“I’m sorry,” Pepper fielded question with a slight frown. “I was not aware that there was a mistake in the press release mentioning that Tony and I broke up.”

“No, there isn’t, I just assumed …” the young reporter started.

“Is that how the praised freedom of press works on Midgard? You write about the things you ‘assume’?” Loki immediately latched on to the guy’s unease, only backing off when Virginia put a hand on his shoulder. The God of Lies expected her to smooth the feathers he had just ruffle, but contradicting his expectations the woman just decided smoothly, “He must be new to this job, don’t be too hard on him, darling.” And then she winked, for all reporters to see.

Laughing Tony kissed the hand that was currently unoccupied, effectively pulling Pepper between Loki and himself. “No matter what is going on in my life, everyone knows that there is nobody as important to me as Pepper Potts. She has dealt with my affairs in the past and though Loki is my first attempt of a stable relationship aside from her that does not change.”

“And you don’t have a problem with this?” One of the female reporters now addressed Loki.

“I fail to see any kind of conflict,” the god replied easily. “There is no rivalry between Virginia and me. I’m not a woman from Midgard and she is not a god from Asgard, though I am willing to call her divine at times.”

Pepper blushed easily at that compliment and squeezed Loki’s shoulder affectionately. No one present could miss that Stark, Potts and ‘their god’ were together in this. No scandal or headline would come from the trio today, no hidden drama or conflict beyond their sensational news. So the reporters started to pay more attention to the other Avengers. But these people had nothing on Fury and Hill so they managed to deflect any questions they didn’t want to answer with ease, while heeding the story Pepper wanted them to go with.

~ ᗯ ~

“Brother, do you want to spar?” Thor used the opportunity to address Loki before the younger god could follow his master or mistress to a floor that was forbidden to him.

Hesitating for a moment, Loki looked at the humans who now directed his fate. Virginia mentioned that she had to return to her office and Tony decided that he needed to blow something up after posing for these leeches who would rather write about the lives of others than live their own. At Loki’s questioning gaze, he only shrugged.

When Tony heard commotion at the side, he pulled Loki close and kissed him. “You did well. Now go and blow off some steam if you like.” He turned his head as if to whisper into his partner’s ear, but addressed Natasha instead, “Miss Rushman, would you please escort this jerk out of the building? But make sure that he keeps at least one picture.”

Smiling slightly, bowing to the name the Black Widow had first introduced herself with, she replied easily, “Of course, Mister Stark. Come on, Clint, I need some muscle. I just had this jacket dry-cleaned.”

Following their line of sight, Loki now noticed the reporter that had managed to follow them into the corridors of Stark Industries. It was all just for show, he reminded himself. His master’s affection was just for the public eye. Lowering his head, he breathed, “Thank you, mas… Tony,” and following his strangely serious looking brother.

~ ᗯ ~

“You shouldn’t lead him on.” Bruce mentioned an hour after the two geniuses had come to the lab. Tony had tested his latest repulsors and he needed a little quiet time after this media storm. Strange how soothing a constantly blabbering engineer and deafening heavy metal music had become for the scientist.

Lowering his gauntlet, Tony creased his forehead. “I’m not leading him on, Bruce. In fact I had a very grown-up conversation with him just this morning. You would have been proud! Loki knows that the physical affection is just for show and that I would never expect anything along these lines from him.”

“Is that what you want or what he wants?”

“Damn, Bruce!” Tony barked, exasperated, signalling to JARVIS to reduce the volume. “I’m trying to do the right thing here. What the hell do you want from me?”

Approaching his friend, Bruce calmingly touched his shoulder. “Nothing Tony. But even a blind person could see that Loki is starved for your affection.”

Placing the gauntlet on a workbench and sinking into a chair beside it, Tony dropped his head into his hands. “He’s starved for anybody’s affection. Neither you nor I have any idea of what he has been through. But judging from his reactions, it has to have been hell to reduce a once proud god to the cowering beggar those guards dropped off in my loft. And don’t even get me started on his last centuries with his ‘family’ in Asgard. It could not have been that supportive of an environment if the news of being adopted turned him into a raving lunatic.”

Not wanting to go into detail about the kinds of torture Loki had most likely suffered, Bruce decided after a while, “I don’t see Loki reacting to anybody the way he reacts to you when you touch him. Not even Pepper and he clearly adores her.”

Sneering slightly to dismiss the uncomfortable gravity of their conversation, Tony brushed off that theory. “You shouldn’t read too much into what Loki said during the press conference. That was just for the reporters.”

Aware of how little Tony liked to talk about feelings, Bruce decided to spare him an extensive explanation. Instead he patted the engineer’s knee and rose. “I’m not forming an opinion on what the God of Lies is saying, but on how the guy whose children you claim as yours is acting around you.”

~ ᗯ ~

“You like him, do you not?”

“If you still take words spoken in public as fact I pity you, Thor.”

Relieved because sparring, bantering, and his brother belittling him were such familiar patterns, Thor did his best to hide his smile at Loki’s deflection. “I was merely reflecting the picture you painted for these reporters, brother.”

Of course Loki ignored him. They were trading easy blows, Loki still not back to his old strength and Thor mindful of his future nieces and nephews.

“The Man of Iron is a good person, kind and caring, no matter how much he hides behind his own wit.” The thundergod proclaimed, trapping his brother in a gentle hold.

“I know,” Loki hissed, fighting against a level of strength he would never match. “Why do you think I chose him as my sanctuary?”  
Sagging because he realized that he had just proven his brother right, Loki blinked out of his Thor’s hold. He immediately felt dizzy, aware that he had overtaxed mystical energies that were far from restored. But instead of accepting his brother’s help he staggered towards one of the benches and claimed a bottle of water Thor had brought in advance.

“And anyway, why do you care? You couldn’t be bothered with my wellbeing for the last three years! You made use of me when your lady was in peril but once the fair Lady Jane was safe again you couldn’t care less about what would become of me!” The trickster had raised his voice by now but didn’t bother to hold back because he was alone with his so called brother.

Thor looked sad at that accusation and defended himself quietly. “That is not true Loki. But after your attempt on the throne, our father forbade me to see you.”

“He. Is. Not. My. Father!” Loki snarled, eyes ablaze with fury. “Had you truly cared, his words would not have mattered. You broke his rules for your little human girl, but not for me!” Approaching the thundergod threateningly, satisfied when Thor pulled back, Loki shouted at him, “What do you think your precious Man of Iron would do, should the Allfather come to Midgard and claim me?”

“He would put on his suit and fight the entire Asgardian army just to get you back.” Thor was forced to admit, because he knew his friend enough by now to be sure that Tony now perceived Loki as ‘his’ and wouldn’t let anyone take him.

“And you wonder why I chose him over you.” Loki replied coldly, turning to leave.

“Well, I can at least be relieved that you like him then.” Thor stated quietly, “You should have at least one person to put your trust into.”

Ignoring Thor’s last remark, Loki boarded the elevator, not realizing that he had chosen his master’s lab as sanctuary after the uncomfortable conversation with his brother.

~ ᗯ ~

He more fell than walked out of the elevator the moment the doors opened. Loki barely noticed two strong arms keeping him from meeting the floor face first as soon as he had entered the workshop. The dizziness he had felt before returned a hundredfold and the god registered only in passing that his master requested help from the doctor. Not offering any resistance, he had long since given up any attempt to preserve his dignity when he felt weak, he let the two human steer him towards the couch at the back of the lab.

Loki tried to concentrate on how to remedy the erroneous situation when his master sank to his knees in front of him. This was all wrong. The floor was his place and Stark was supposed to tower over him. Distressed, the god tried to swap their positions but his master's hands kept him trapped.

"He's bleeding," Tony noticed when brushing away a tiny droplet that marred Loki's upper lip. "Bruce, I thought you said that he was alright? Why is he bleeding again?"

Stark's distress forced Loki to concentrate. A master in distress rarely bode well for his slave. But with the engineer, the fallen god realized that he did not want to worry him unnecessarily rather than fearing punishment. "I fought," he rasped, "with Thor. It's alright."

"Thor did this to you?" Like turning out a light, the concerned demeanour of the billionaire vanished and was replaced by cold fury. This was the face of a man Loki has learned to fear, but Stark's anger was not directed at him when he ordered, "JARVIS, locate Thor."

_"Master Thor is currently on his way to the workshop, Sir, but …"_

"Prepare the suit," Tony interrupted, but abandoned his attempt to get up when Loki reached for his hand. The god's voice was quiet yet determined when he requested, "Please, master. It was not Thor's fault. I …" But then he stopped his attempts to explanation of what had transpired, unwilling to admit to his failure. Stark had given him back his ability to regenerate seiðr in good faith that he would use his magic to protect their offspring. Loki had used it carelessly to escape an uncomfortable confrontation, overtaxing himself in the process. He doubted his master would be thrilled to hear that.

Bruce stepped in, acting as a voice of reason. "JARVIS, can you show us what happened?"

_"I would be delighted to, Doctor Banner."_ The AI replied, but nothing happened.

When Bruce raised his eyebrows at his friend, Tony relented, "Do it, JARVIS."

As always the video came without audio, but still it was plain to see that Thor had exercised a great deal of care when interacting with Loki. Once the video feed ran out, Tony looked from the Thundergod; who had by now arrived outside of his lab; to the God of Mischief who still sat on his couch, unable to meet his eyes.

Passing his workbench, picking up his gauntlet, Tony instructed, "Open the door."

The moment Thor was two steps into the room, the engineer raised his hand and blasted him so that the god was thrown back into the transparent wall, sliding to the floor. Stalking towards the blond god, Tony glared down at him. "You have known Loki your entire life. Don't tell me that you were not aware that you were pushing his buttons!"

Not trying to get up, Thor looked up at his friend, "Indeed, I was. Had I known that my brother had enough power to cast a spell, I would have chosen a different approach."

"Why? Because you’re afraid that he might use his magic on you?" Tony asked provocative.

Unexpectedly Thor shook his head. "My brother never hesitates to hurt me, but not once in our life has he ever tried to harm me with his magic. It is the one thing that I could not recover from. Between the two of us, the only one his seiðr has ever harmed was he, and that was never my intention." Gazing towards Loki, Thor lowered his head, "My apologies, brother."

When Tony offered his hand to pull Thor to his feet, the god produced a half-full jar of honey from the folds of his clothes. Obviously he had expected a blazing welcome because the glass was wrapped in a towel. "I am aware that I am not welcome, but please give this to Loki. It will help."

Looking from one miserable god to the other, Tony sighed and stepped aside. "Why don't you give it to him yourself?"

"Maybe with some fruit," Bruce suggested, setting down blueberries, bananas and a bottle of milk on the table before Loki. The doctor did not know the first thing about magic, but it seemed like a good idea to deal with Loki overtaxing himself like a visit from the Hulk. All he usually needed after letting the other guy out to play were lots of calories and a sufficient amount of rest. Despite his friend's protests he pushed Tony into the elevator to give the brothers time to make up. Judging by his feeble protests, Tony agreed.

Sinking down on the couch beside his pale brother, Thor tentatively held out the jar. "I'm sorry."

Not meeting his brother's eyes, Loki took the offering and started to throw the blueberries in, before consuming a few spoons. Relaxing slightly when the sugar hit his system, he replied quietly, "I believe you."

~ ᗯ ~

The tentative truce between the brothers lasted way into the afternoon, mostly because Loki was too drained for any sharp remarks.

When Tony and Bruce returned with a few sandwiches around lunchtime, they ate together, but the God of Mischief drifted off again soon thereafter. Thor chose a place beside his brother on the floor to guard him.

An hour into the afternoon Tony took pity on his friend and offered him a Stark-pad to explore the internet or read a little. When Thor dozed off as well the pad slid to the floor. Bruce picked it up in passing and looked at the last document opened. It turned out to be the “The Poetic Edda” by Voluspo. Thor had added comments in the margins.

When he showed it to Tony, the engineer browsed over it, occasionally reading both the poem and Thor's comments whenever Loki was mentioned. Absent minded, the engineer directed, "JARVIS, save my current work," while taking the pad from Bruce to give the story his full attention. With a tiny smile, Bruce returned to his part of the lab where he did research that could not be disturbed by occasional explosions. These happened with frightening regularity in Tony's workshop but were mostly contained so they brought barely any harm other than to the equipment and occasionally to Tony himself. In the last case Bruce preferred to stay close.

Looking at the golden-haired god, Bruce reminded himself that most people who met Thor thought him friendly, slightly overwhelming, and a little simple minded since he still had trouble grasping the concepts of modern technology. But these people often forgot that Thor was a member of a superior race and that he had a life-experience of several centuries. Thor could be as subtle and sneaky as the next guy, he just chose not to be. Now he had found a way to share a port of his brother's history without having to talk to either Tony or ask for Loki's permission.

Bruce even suspected that he had just opened an innocent way of communication between Tony and himself, supplying his friend with insight into his brother's life he would be unable to get otherwise.

~ ᗯ ~

The next morning, JARVIS informed them during breakfast on the communal floor that the ultrasound machine had been delivered. Tony immediately perked up and said … something. Bruce didn't even pretend to understand since the engineer was blabbering around a huge bite of bagel. Yet the delighted expression and the fact that Tony ushered both him and Loki into the elevator told the scientist that the father to be was excited to use it immediately.

Dread unlike any other filled Loki when his muster mumbled something about 'ultrasound' and 'babies' and 'no problem'. Until now the god had been convinced that Stark wanted his children, or at least meant no harm to them. His entire plan of coming here had been based on that assumption. But now his master had had this dreadful machine delivered and seemed eager to use it to get rid of 'the problem'.

They had already reached Dr. Banner's lab and where half way through it when Loki spotted the devious apparatus and a white chair with stir-ups for the victim beside it. When Stark nudged him towards it, Loki decided that whatever would happen in retaliation didn't matter. He could not obey this command. Shaking his head frantically he pulled back, whispering, "No."

When Stark tried to reach for him, he pulled back further. This human was no match for him, he would not allow this man to force him into that chair. Panic welled up, when the host of the green behemoth appeared beside his master. Him, Loki had not factored in when deciding on resisting. Even partially transformed the Hulk was much stronger than him, able to toss him around with ease.

Anxiously, Loki pulled back until he hit the wall. Raising his hands defensively he pleaded, "Don't, please, don't do this to them. I will be good, obedient, cater to your every whim. Master, please, do not do this!"

Unable to understand what had brought this sudden outburst on, Tony reached for the god, "Come on, Reindeer Games, it will be over in a minute and we will all feel better afterwards."

He would feel better when losing his children?! How could his master even think that? Squeezing himself into the corner between a cupboard and the wall, Loki hugged his belly and folded into himself, protecting his children from the wrath his defiance undoubtedly would bring. When his master reached for him to pull him free, the god did the unthinkable: he lashed out.

A pained sound from the human told the slave that he had hit his mark. He would be punished, he did not doubt that. But everything was better than this. Inwardly, he cursed himself for having been so stupid. To use the small amount of magic he had been able to gather merely to escape an uncomfortable conversation with his brother. Now he was powerless and all the god could do was beg for mercy. "I will do everything you command, but please don’t take my children from me. I beseech you. I will help you rule the universe should you desire. I will make your wildest dreams come true. I only beg for this: leave my children be. Please, Man of Iron!"

"Take your children? What the hell?" Something was clearly going over his head, and from the look Bruce was throwing him, the same was true for the doctor. Trying to ease Loki but not daring to touch him again, the two geniuses shrugged helplessly before Tony suggested half-heartedly, "Maybe we should ask Steve to come down. He managed to calm him on the day of his arrival. And he doesn't get hurt easily."

Before the doctor could voice his opinion, JARVIS interrupted, _"Sir, if I may offer a suggestion: Master Loki seems considerably calmer when Miss Potts is around."_

"You know what, JARVIS, that's a brilliant idea." Tony decided, "Call Pepper."

The CEO's voice sounded exasperated when she answered, "I'm currently in a meeting, Tony. This better be important."

Pondering on what to say, explaining the situation while others were listening was out of the question, Tony settle with, "I need you, Pepper."

There was a heartbeat of silence before they could hear the shuffling of chairs and Pepper's business voice, "We will postpone this until the afternoon. Please be ready at two." Then the line closed.

_"Miss Potts is on her way,"_ JARVIS helpfully supplied and it was not only Tony's imagination that the AI sounded worried.

~ ᗯ ~

Trapped in this horrible nightmare, Loki's mind supplied numerous useless plans of what he could offer so that Stark would refrain from taking his children. But he had to dismiss every idea within seconds because he only came up with things his master either possessed or did not desire. His frantic heartbeat slowed gradually when long, gentle fingers started to brush through his hair. When the god raised his tear-stained face, he found his mistress crouched down in front of him. Her voice was unbearably soft and she looked at him with a kind smile, "There you are. Do you want to tell me what got you so worried?"

Lifting his head fully, Loki noticed Stark hovering behind Virginia and the doctor stood between them and the dreadful machine. Uncertain if he was allowed to explain, his master didn't look happy with him at the moment, the god decided to make one last attempt of saving his offspring, evading the question, "Please, Mistress, have mercy. I am willing to trade my life for the lives of my children. Just don't harm them."

Following Loki's line of sight, Pepper was able to draw the right conclusion. Shaking her head she explained, "Loki, this machine is meant to take pictures of your children to make sure that they are alright. It will not harm them."

Straightening she decided, "I will go first. Bruce will perform an ultrasound on me and then you can go next. You will see it's completely harmless."

"No!" Loki's hand shot out, closing around her wrist. By complying with Stark's wishes, Virginia was putting herself in harm's way. Loki could not allow that. But before he was able to explain himself, decide to trust his mistress and take her place, his master enclosed his wrist in a vice-grip, grinding bone on bone. His voice was like steel, all-encompassing and absolute when he ordered, "Let her go. Now!"

Remembering that he must have hurt Stark, he opened his fingers, allowing Virginia to pull free. He wanted to bow down, to apologize, but in that moment Anthony Stark claimed the position Loki, the Allfather, nearly everybody involved had tried to bestow on him since he had uttered the lies that had brought him here: he became the slave’s master and his word became law. "Rise."

Obedience was an instinct and before Loki had drawn his next breath he was upright, waiting for the next command. What he wanted or feared did not matter anymore. His mind was bending to Stark's will, by the collar and his own making, simply because the human did not give him a choice any longer. "Tell me if I am being truthful: I would never intentionally hurt Virginia Potts in any way."

Closing his eyes, drawing the powers that had been instilled on him by the fates, Loki nodded, "You are speaking the truth."

"Good." His master then approached the machine Loki feared so very much, trusting that his slave would follow. "Now that we have established that, we will do exactly as Pepper suggested: Bruce will give her an ultrasound and explain everything along the way. Once he is finished, you are next. Everybody agree? Great, let's begin."

Still scared but unable to leave Stark's side, Loki watched his mistress slide into the chair, placing her feet in the stir-ups. Rubbing his hands together nervously, the doctor requested, "Pepper, could you … ahm … maybe open your blouse and trousers? I don't want to get gel on your clothes."

All business, the woman did as requested. With Banner's help she lined the seam of her trousers with paper-towels and giggled when the doctor squeezed a little of the contrast gel onto her flat belly.

Slipping into professional mode, Doctor Banner started to explain, "Ultrasonography is an imaging technique that uses sound waves and their echoes to create a picture of the patient's internal organs. Different waves are reflected from the tissue and fluids within the body and these reflections are used by the ultrasound machine to create the image. In Pepper's case, we can see the uterus. Just above, we find her bladder. On either side, we find her ovaries, all in perfect condition."

Looking at the machine, Pepper stated drily, "After everything Killian Aldrich put me through, they better be." She smiled, however, when Tony stepped up to her, complimenting, "You, Miss Potts, have the most beautiful ovaries I have ever seen."

Smiling a little, flexing her abdomen involuntarily when Bruce wiped her off, she kissed Tony, "Well, Mister Stark, I was not aware of how much you valued my inner beauty."

Looking at her adoringly, Tony replied, "Inner beauty, outer beauty, when it comes to you, I value pretty much everything."

Climbing off the chair, Pepper offered her hands to Loki. Obediently the god took her place. While his mistress straightened her attire, Loki opened his. Only his master kept him from getting rid of them completely. Both his hands and his voice were soft again and the anxious slave was grateful for it. "The abdomen should suffice."

As it had happened with Virginia, cool gel was spread over his skin. Loki's nails were scratching the leather surface in an attempt to find something to hold on to. When Stark reached for him, Loki enclosed the billionaire's hand in a vice-grip, unable to let go. He tensed when the probe was put on his skin, but contrary to his expectations, nothing hurt.

Distorted images appeared on the screen and for a while Loki tried to decipher the meaning of them. Everything looked the same to him, a grey mash without contour. At least until Banner mumbled smiling, "Got you … and you!" The pressure of the probe bordered on becoming painful but Loki didn't try to slip away, because his master demanded in the same moment, "JARVIS, can we get a bigger picture please?"

"And sound," Bruce added, putting a little more gel on Loki's belly. “We should be able to hear a heartbeat.”

All of a sudden, the room was filled with a double, slightly irregular thumping. In front of them, an image appeared that showed something that seemed entirely alien. Bruce explained joyously, "My guess would be that you are seven to eight weeks along. This one is at the early stage of seven weeks but the second one looks closer to eight weeks. Wait, let me show you."

More grey noise and then another foetus. This one even had distinguishable eyes.

"So this is …" Tony's words came out a little croaked. "We are hearing two heartbeats? Loki's carrying twins?"

"So it seems," Bruce confirmed, freezing the picture so that he could send a snapshot of both babies to the local printer.

Loki was … frozen. But not by fear. This time it was baffled amazement that kept him rooted on the spot. With his free hand, he reached for the hologram, tracing the virtual edges of his children. He mourned the loss of the heartbeat, once the doctor took the wand from his belly. Virginia's soft hand brushed over his face and brought him back to the present. And though Loki glanced at her briefly, his eyes inevitably returned to his master. Wetly he whispered, "Thank you. Thank you so very much for showing them to me. I have never …"

A strangled sob tore from his throat. Before Loki could come to terms with what was happening, Stark had pulled him in, allowing the emotionally exhausted god to hold on to him. Calmingly rubbing Loki's back, the engineer assured him. "You are welcome. All we wanted to do was make sure they are alright. And they are, they are so very gorgeous. Thank you for choosing me as their father."

Pepper joined the group hug and Banner quietly left he lab. The last thing he did was spreading out the prints on the table closest to the door. He was sure that everybody involved would want a copy.

~ ᗯ ~

Loki had a hard time to come to terms with what had happened. During the last hour he had done many unseemly things, and for what? All his master and mistress had wanted was looking at his tiny, perfect children. They had had the best of intentions and he had greeted them with violence, without even giving them a chance. What kind of monster was he?

~ ᗯ ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, NoxCaterina, I told you it would happen ;). Nobody will ever stop asking questions about Loki's pregnancy. He's a man and pregnant and a Jotun and there are so many things that are strange about that that the questions won't even stop after him giving birth.


	10. Making Amends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony remembered that being responsible for someone, sometimes meant to help them make amends for their failures.

It felt like walking in a dream to the god when Pepper, Tony and he left the lab together. Loki held the pictures of his babies close to his heart but easily gave one up the moment his mistress asked for it. He would never be able to repay these humans for what they had done for him but he could at least bow to their wishes. Virginia’s eyes were shining like the stars when she held the image of his children like a treasure. When she thanked him with a brush of her lips over his cheeks, the god hesitated for a heartbeat, tracing the lingering touch with the tips of his fingers once she was gone. After everything he had done, his mistress was still affectionate. Certainly more than he deserved.

His master seemed filled to the brim with excited energy, ready to vibrate out of his skin. He too seemed to have already forgotten about his slave’s transgression. With Loki’s help, he pushed the ultrasound machine into his workshop and immediately started to talk about 3D-imaging and live-feeds. Apparently watching unmoving pictures was not enough for Tony Stark.

The god retreated to the couch in the corner, shaking his head when the robot with the one arm offered him a blanket. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the depiction of his babies. Of course he knew them to be there. He was a sorcerer after all. But to be able to see them, in such an early stage of being, was a miracle.

He looked up at a pained sound from his master, who tried twisting a wrench. The slight worried voice of Stark’s artificial servant confirmed Loki’s worst fear. _“Sir, please, judging from the surveillance and your reaction just now, the chance of your wrist being sprained is 93.5%. You should let Doctor Banner have a look at it.”_

“I don’t have time for a cast. It was just a slap on the wrist and I can twist it just fine.” Tony objected.

But even from his point of view, the god could see the pain in the engineer’s eyes when he rotated his hand. This was his doing. His master had been so patient and careful, had tried to persuade Loki to bend to his will. He could have activated the collar, drag him to the chair by his hair and chain him to it. The dark elf would surely have done so, as would have Loki’s first mistress, though she would have had her guards doing it. Never would she have lifted a finger to bend him to her will herself. All she had done was take pleasure in punishing him for his sins afterwards. But Stark had only asserted his authority the moment he had feared for Virginia Potts’ wellbeing.

From that moment on, he had not even needed to resort to physical violence. The god had bent to this will as he had done with but one person before: his mother. Loki had not always been an obedient son, far from it, but when Frigga had expected compliance, he had submitted. The same had been true for his master today. But despite his centuries of experience, the god could not determine why.  
However, there was one thing he knew without a doubt: today’s actions deserved punishment.

A slave should not even think about lashing out towards his master. That was even more true for a master like Stark. The human had been nothing but kind and Loki had rewarded his kindness with violence. It would not do to drag this out any longer. Amends had to be made so the god shed his vest and shirt and carefully folded them on the sofa. Due to a lack of proper tools he pulled the belt from his trousers and approached his master.

Tony was elbow deep in electronics when he heard a quiet noise to draw his attention. Untangling himself from some wiring, he asked, “What is it? Do you … Why are you half naked?” Stumbling to his feet, involuntarily pulling himself up with his sprained wrist – yes, he knew that JARVIS was right but he needed to see his babies moving; and it was his left hand anyway, who needed that one – he looked the dark haired god up and down, mistrustfully eying the belt that was offered.

Loki was calm, nearly eerily so, when he bowed. “I harmed you, master. There is no greater offence. I have to be punished.”

For several minutes, Tony looked at Loki, waiting to find out if the god was serious, then thinking this through. There were many things the Asgardians had told him, about their society and the peeping god in the sky. He remembered that being responsible for someone, sometimes meant to help them make amends for their failures. So after a while the engineer nodded and put away his tools. “You are right. You should not have attacked me and you have to make amends.”

Did he only imagine it, or had Loki just sagged in relief? When taking in his dark-haired god’s humble posture, Tony noticed that he seemed surprisingly calm at the prospect of being penalized. He had to have a pretty bad conscience for slapping Tony. Well, the billionaire decided, there would be punishment. Reaching into a cupboard, he pulled out a dark-blue long-sleeve with the logo of Stark Industries on the back. “Put that on, you’re going to get dirty.”

Confused Loki complied and put on the slightly too big shirt. This was not going as expected.

In the back of the workshop, Tony opened two wide steel cabinets. Deftly he caught a few cables that fell out of the second one. “These two lockers contain the majority of my spare parts. You will clear them out, clean them. Then clean the parts and sort them.” Whistling for his one-armed bot he took the blanket from him and shoved him towards Loki. “DUM-E here will help you. If you need more boxes or anything else ask JARVIS. Cleaning supplies are DUM-E’s area of expertise. Got it? Great!” Clapping Loki on the shoulder, the engineer turned to return to his latest project.

Helplessly looking from the belt in his hand to the cupboard, the fallen god called out confused, “Master, I …”

Exhaling resigning, Tony turned around one last time. Apparently he would not be able to doge that particular bullet. Returning to the god he closed his hand gently around the belt and asked softly, “Do you want me to beat you?”

Squeezing his eyes shut briefly, Loki shook his head.

“Loki, in this tower, there will be no corporal punishment. With one exception.”

“Me hurting mistress.”

Dropping his hand, steel returning to his voice, Stark nodded once. “Exactly, and I dare say not even then. If you hurt Pepper on purpose, you won’t have to worry about being hit with a belt because I will tear you to pieces. There is nothing more important in my life than her. Are we clear?”

Nodding, Loki confirmed, “We are clear.” After a heartbeat he added, “I’m sorry for hurting you, master.”

With a crooked smile, Tony brushed off the apology. “I’ve had worse, don’t worry. I have a live-in doctor. I’m sure Bruce will have me patched up within the week.”

~ ᗯ ~

Organizing Stark’s assembly parts really was slave labour and it dragged out longer than any punishment Loki had ever received. At first the fallen god suspected that the robot his master had assigned him was supposed to add to the penalty. He had tried to conquer the mesh of parts he was provided with, by pre-sorting them. Something that turned out an easy task with circuits and screws, but became complicated as soon as Loki reached the wires. Whenever he heaped those of similar colouring together, the sadistic bot split them up into several piles again.

At the end of the day the god was glad that he was powerless at the moment, because after returning from a bathroom-break he found the white cables divided into three different piles again; the third time today. His frustration grew and he would have liked nothing better than to blast this cursed machine into oblivion. His master would be angry with him but for a moment the god wondered if it would not be worth it. Frustrated he sank to his knees in the middle of the mess and started to collect the wires again when the engineer looked over his shoulder, scanning the floor. “I need a white, multiconductor cable.”

When DUM-E raised the one he held up, Tony berated him with a slap on his arm. “I’m doing internal wiring, have you learned nothing at MIT, you oversized fire extinguisher?”

The bot gestured towards Loki and the engineer smiled brilliantly when plugging the four-wire cable from his fingers. “Aren’t you a busy Loki. Proceed, guys. You’re doing a splendid job!”

Stunned into bafflement, Loki looked at the numerous wires on the floor, realizing for the first time, that the bot had tirelessly tried to help him all day and he had boycotted it at every turn. Slowly he held up the wiring in front of him and asked quietly. “Would you show me again?”

DUM-E chirped happily, but rolled away.

It served him right to be left alone with this task, Loki pondered. He had not exactly treated his only help nicely. All of Stark’s mechanical aids seemed to be sentient, so they obviously were able to feel insulted when being treated poorly. Lost when facing the countless wires he now knew to be different, Loki was surprised to find DUM-E back at his side after several minutes. The robot was offering a green drink with a tiny yellow umbrella. Searching for his master, he found Stark absent-minded sipping a similar cocktail before burying himself in the machine again.

Daring to try the unusual concoction, Loki found the drink strange but not unpleasant. When trying to return to his task, DUM-E nudged him back a little and took his place in front of this wiry mess. With a speed and precision that spoke of Stark’s genius, the robot started to pick apart the wires, only turning towards Loki for help when cables were too entangled to get them separated on his own.

~ ᗯ ~

A soft hand on his head brought Loki back from the edge of sleep. Looking up he found his mistress smiling down at him, indicating for him to rise. But the god shook his head. “I must complete my punishment.”

For a moment Virginia seemed to think but she nodded in the end. Raising her voice she addressed Tony, “Loki will continue his punishment tomorrow.”

Looking up, slightly confused the billionaire shrugged, “Yea, sure. What do you need him for?”

Stepping closer so that she could wrap her arm around Tony from behind, she told him, “Dinner, shower, bed, for the both of you.” Scrunching her nose she stepped back. “Not necessarily in that order though.”

“Alright,” Tony confirmed, pecking her cheek. “I’ll be up in a minute.”

Stepping back, holding up his screwdriver, she dangled it in front of his face. “Are you sure?”

Loki was surprised to see his master putting down the tool he was using and approached his girlfriend with a placating gesture. “Let’s not be hasty, Pepper. I said I was coming.”

How the man could perceive Virginia as a threat was beyond the fallen god, but the engineer’s body language indicated exactly that.

Slowly, carefully, Tony reached for the screw-driver. Yes, he had dozen of them, but Pepper had the unsettling ability to always choose his favourites.

Smiling sweetly, she repeated, “Shower, dinner and then bed for the both of you. Now! Or I will pick another hostage!”

When her arm started to glow a little, Tony hastily reached for Loki’s shirt and pulled him towards the elevator.

~ ᗯ ~

 _“Well, played, Miss Potts.”_ JARVIS complimented once the doors closed behind the men.

“Thank you, JARVIS. Will you save whatever needs saving and then lock up?”

 _“Certainly,”_ the AI confirmed, while slowly powering down the workshop.

With a satisfied grin, Pepper put the tool back in its proper place.  
She had been surprised to discover that after her brush with Extremis, she could get Tony to bend to her will all the more easily after melting down a few of his tools. JARVIS has helped her to pick the ones he rarely used. But for leverage she always chose those he liked best. Since Tony had slept last night, she had been willing to trade the screw-driver for Loki. The god was far from being back to his old strength. But she was happy that Tony had given in so easily. A few more days and his sleeping schedule could even be called ‘normal’ instead of only regular.

~ ᗯ ~

When Loki returned to the workshop the next day his master was already there. No wonder since it was already past ten. Loki had been worried when Stark’s ever present mechanical servant had told him that it was already three hours after sunrise when he woke. He approached the human hesitant, expecting to be reprimanded for being so lazy. “Forgive me, master. I overslept, I …”

Hitting his head on the chassis of the ultrasonic machine, he had completely dismantled it at that point, Stark cursed before asking, “Why, did you plan on going somewhere?”

Paling at that suggestion Loki shook his head frantically, “Of course not. But mistress promised that I would finish my punishment toady. I did not intend to betray her trust!”

Smiling inwardly about how much Loki already seemed to care about Pepper’s opinion, Tony explained, “Well, first of all it was Pepper who decided that after sorting through my stuff for ten hours straight you deserved a little lie-in. Second, I didn’t give you a time frame. I’d rather have you taking your time and sorting my cables properly, than mashing them together but be finished in a day.”

Loki flinched slightly at the verbal stab. He gazed towards the bot, who seemed to have fun with a broom. Drooping his eyes he mumbled, “Your robot finishing the task of sorting for me.”

“Yes, he showed it to me when I came to the lab this morning. DUM-E’s usually not allowed to touch my spare parts. Since you laid them out for him, he got the chance to sort them to his mechanical heart’s content. He was quite proud that he had done it properly.”

When said bot started to tug on the god’s sleeve, Loki folded his arms protectively. “I should have not stepped aside and let him do it. It was my punishment.” He was unsure of how to make up for this failure. His master had been benevolent enough to choose this task over a beating and Loki had given in far too easily when DUM-E had offered his help. Why should his master allow him any leniency after this?

“Loki? Loki, look at me!” Tony demanded when noticing the tailspin his dark-haired god was currently in. Reaching for his shoulders he gave the god a gentle shake. He did not expect him to break to his knees, starting to tremble. Clearly Loki expected punishment since he wrapped his arms tighter around his womb, yet he did not dare to pull free from Tony’s hands.

For a moment the engineer was reminded of Yinsen. The man had gone very still before their captors from the Ten Rings, in similar situations. He had placated them to buy Tony time to build his first Iron Man. They both had hoped for a chance to escape, or at least Tony had thought so. The engineer was not sure what Loki was aiming for with his compliance. He seemed frozen in the recollection of his former captivity.

Letting go, he crouched down before the god, gesturing DUM-E to come closer. He needed to remind Loki where he was and that nothing bad would happen to him. Him and his babies!

“Alright, Reindeer Games, you need to listen to me. Listen to the sound of my voice. You’re on Earth … Midgard. You are in Avengers’ Tower and far away from any of the bastards who hurt you.

“Well, relatively speaking,” he added after a moment. “Bruce is only a few floors up, but in his defence, you really were an asshole when he let Hulk have a go at you. He wouldn’t do that now. At least not if you can keep it in your pants this time and … you know … not try to conquer the Earth.”

When Loki finally raised his eyes after this meaningless litany, an honest smile spread over Tony’s face. “There you are. Back for good, Bambi eyes?” He couldn’t keep himself from cupping Loki’s face. Not when the god looked at him like that, all hopeful and unsure at the same time, with eyes far too big for his face.

The tormented god leaned into the contact, needing the comfort far too much even when he was too scared to really go for it. Closing his eyes he savoured what was given, whispering quietly, “Thank you, master.”

Whether you were punished or rewarded, a slave was expected to thank his master for what he received. But this day, on this planet, Loki felt that this phrase was not even close to explain the emotions that were at war in his chest. He was disappointing his master time and time again. Today by failing to complete a task on his own, even something as simple as staying in the present. Yet Stark showed such patience with him, rivalling that of his mother. And Loki had nothing to give to show how very much he appreciated that.

He thought of the gem he was preparing for his mistress. It was a small gesture to show his gratitude for everything she had done for him. But his master had everything he could ever desire. He did everything he even had the remotest interest in. Compared to that, Loki had nothing, was nothing! All he had to offer was his service and he was even failing at that.

Rising to his feet, trying not to mourn the loss of Stark’s hand, he bowed slightly. “With your permission, I would like to return to my task.”

Glad the god was back with him, Tony nodded encouragingly. “Of course. But there is something you should know.” The engineer gestured towards DUM-E, running his hand along the bot’s chassis, while he nudged him with his claw. “When I tell you to do something, I will rarely expect you to do it without aid. Especially not if I assign you an aid. You might be a member of a superior race, but that does not mean that you know everything there is to know about Earth. DUM-E is a helper-bot. He’s the first one I ever built and supposed to lend a helping hand. That is literally his only function. So if he’s there, make use of him. He’ll be happy to support you.”

At Loki’s slightly mistrustful expression, Tony laughed. “He is! Just let him show you.”

Needing no more incentive, DUM-E rolled closer a second time and reached for the god’s shirt. When Loki allowed it, he chirped happily and dragged him towards the cabinets. The god was amazed when the entire contents he had lain out yesterday was neatly sorted into heaps. The spare parts still were dirty but now he had an excellent overview. Turning around Loki noticed his master very pointedly **not** looking at them.

Smiling slightly at the sight of the bot that circled him proudly, the god asked, “I have it on good authority that you are the keeper of the cleaning supplies. So, can you help me gather what is needed to get everything into pristine condition once again?”

Luckily Loki noticed that in his excitement to help, the bot would have ripped the sleeve from his shirt he once again grabbed, had he not followed with haste. In this tower, even the machines could get excited. With a tiny smile, Loki asked himself what kind of wonders he would encounter next.

~ ᗯ ~

The god’s next discovery was a rather painful one. The one-armed robot had been eager to show him the cleaning supplies and pull out the correct formula for dealing with oil and grime. Together they decided, well Loki decided and DUM-E chirped encouragingly, that they would start with cleaning the cupboards and boxes that usually held the spare parts. With the right agent this was an easy task. When everything was ready, all boxes back at their proper place, Loki and DUM-E started carrying the spare parts to the sink, cleaning one type after the other.

Things got complicated at that point, because even when the fallen god allowed the parts to sit in the cleaning solution for an extended amount of time, the dirt simply wouldn’t come off. In the end Loki allowed the bot to support him by adding more agent to the mixture. When they finally used it in its purest form they were able to get the grime out of every nook and crease, polishing screws and bolts and spare parts the god could not even name.

They were a few hours into their task when Loki realized that he was starting to get dizzy. The little brush DUM-E had given him fell out of his roughened fingers, but the god ignored the bot’s concerned chirp by explaining that he was just dehydrated. Immediately DUM-E rolled away, probably to prepare another smoothie.

Clearing his head a little by drinking two glasses of cold water, he returned to the task at hand. Considering the severity of his crime, the slave considered himself lucky for receiving such a mild punishment. Sure his fingers were raw and hurting. Of course the fumes from the chemicals were rising to his head. But this beat being flogged any time.

Turning around he found his master soldering together the bowls from the ultrasound machine, insulting a little bot that had previously been introduced as ‘U’. Loki didn’t know what time it was but since he wasn’t even hungry it could not be that far past midday. Taking a deep breath to clear his head he returned his attention to the contents of the sink.

Two smoothies and three batches of spare parts later, the god had to catch himself to not topple over. With DUM-E’s help they had neatly filled all the boxes in the topmost row, even labelling them for Stark’s convenience. JARVIS had helped with the labels and DUM-E had eagerly produced a dozen pens and pencils for Loki to choose from. He had carefully put aside a few pencils that were labelled ‘Chinese White’, ‘Smoke Blue’ and ‘Ivory Black’ because these clearly did not belong to his master.

Said bot was also the reason he did not tumble to the floor when another dizzy-spell hit him. The anxious whining from his mechanical friend was enough to spear a sharp pain through his head, but since his cracked fingers had started bleeding, he was not even able to grip the speaker and muffle the sound. All he achieved was smearing blood on DUM-E’s chassis before sinking to his knees. Though the mechanical claw on his arm hurt, he couldn’t fight his way up again. His master would be angry about him slacking, Loki thought absent-mindedly. Yet he was not able to come up with a possible solution for this problem since his head seemed to be filled with wool.

“What the fuck?”

DUM-E’s anxious whining had a way of penetrating Tony’s working frenzy better than even JARVIS’ insistent voice. Mostly because something had to be seriously wrong for the bot to become this loud. Well, looking at the barely conscious god, something had indeed gone wrong. Gods did not faint and was there blood on Loki’s fingers?

“Don’t just stand there and wail, you stupid bot. Help me to get him on the couch!” Tony barked angrily, half dragging, half carrying Loki through the workshop. “JARVIS, get me Bruce. Right now!” He shouted while placing Loki carefully on the sofa. He sneezed when putting him down. Something smelled so sharp around here that it brought tears to his eyes.

“Tony, what’s wrong?” Even over the intercom the engineer could hear the worry that laced Bruce’s words. “Are you hurt?”

Instantly Tony assured him, “No, I’m perfectly fine but Loki just collapsed. I don’t know what’s wrong.” What the hell had happened? Was it the pregnancy, or something around here? Looking around Tony tried to discover what could have caused the god to faint, but nothing looked out of the ordinary.

When Bruce stepped into the workshop he seemed wide awake but was wearing his pyjamas. Them being covered in little Mjolnirs opened so many, beautiful opportunities for jabs, but for once the billionaire – who had developed the habit of buying every piece of Avengers’ merchandise he could force on his friends – was not up for it. He was looking at his friend helplessly, stepping aside to allow him unrestricted access to the god. Brushing up the soaked Stark-shirt, working side by side with DUM-E had its drawbacks, the doctor smelled his fingers before cutting through the fabric throwing it to the side. “What is he working with? He seems drenched in chemicals.”

Having hovered until now, Tony’s bot didn’t need further prompting to retrieve the empty canister they had already used up.

“I use them for cleaning my tools.” Tony explained. “Best product on the market. I brought the company some years back.”

“Effective and highly toxic.” Bruce discovered when looking over the list of ingredients

“Sure,” the engineer shrugged, “That’s what gloves and masks are for. Or bots in my case.”

“Tony,” Bruce asked, as if the engineer was trying his patience. “Does Loki look as if he has worn any kind of protection?”

Taking in the god’s pasty complexion and his raw, bleeding fingers, Tony’s stomach turned. “DUM-E, why the hell was he not wearing any fucking gloves? You know where everything is!”

The bot’s whine was so dejected that his creator couldn’t help but to brush a comforting hand over his mechanical arm. “I know. I know you’re sorry. I’m just worried. You know this stuff isn’t good for humans. I explained it to you the moment I bought it for the first time.”

Ignoring this ‘conversation’, Bruce took care of Loki who remained passed out on the couch. When his preliminary exam was finished he interrupted the engineer. “I want to give him another ultrasound to make sure the babies are okay. How long did he work with the chemicals?”

Returning to the machine he had improved over the last two days, Tony started to fuse the remaining wiring. “Not long, he started around midday. A few hours tops.”

Bruce looked at his friend and supressed an exasperating sigh. “Tony, it’s four thirty in the morning!”

“What?” Checking the time the billionaire wondered. “Why didn’t Pepper come down? Did something happen to her? JARVIS, where is Pepper?”

 _“Miss Potts was here around six, telling you that she had to travel to California. She made you promise to eat dinner and go to bed at midnight the latest, Sir.”_ As always the AI’s voice was perfectly polite, still it was heavy with disapproval when he added, _“I tried to remind you at eleven p.m., at midnight and around half past one. You muted me at my last attempt.”_

Heartbroken Tony looked at Bruce. The engineer hadn’t registered a single one of these attempts. Had he been more attentive, cared for something beyond his work, the carrier of his children would be safe in bed now and not passed out on his couch poisoned? “Fuck.”  
His shoulders slumped as he rolled the ultrasound machine closer.

Offering a salve from the first aid kit, Bruce had stocked personally, the doctor directed, “Clean his hands and rub this in. I will make sure that the babies are alright.”

Choosing a place on the stained coffee table, Tony cleaned first his own and then Loki’s hands before rubbing in the thick salve. Bruce warmed the tube of contrast-gel under hot water before applying it to the god’s stomach.

An irregular pounding that seemed to resonate through Loki’s entire being forced the fallen god back to consciousness. His head felt like it might break apart, but what caught his attention was his master sitting beside him, rubbing something on his fingers that soothed the burning. Realizing that he had fallen asleep half way through his punishment, he tried to get up immediately. But Stark wouldn’t let him. “Master, please, I’m sorry. Let me return to finish my assignment. I can …”

But the human just held him immobile, gesturing upwards towards the bright, blue light that filled the room. “Shhh … shut up and watch.”

Finally raising his head, Loki noticed the three-dimensional projection of his babies. Only now did he become aware of the broad metal plate the doctor had placed on his stomach. The scientist, whose monster had had a heavy hand in his downfall a few years ago, but had been kind to him ever since he had come here was currently looking up as well. Manipulating the picture he asked softly, “JARVIS, you are recording this.”

_“Of course, Doctor Banner.”_

Noticing that something was off, Tony addressed his friend, slightly panicking, “What is it, Bruce? Are they hurt?”

“No, they’re fine. Better than fine I would say.”

“Then why do you look like Hulk had just trashed your favourite toys?”

~ ᗯ ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loki will deliver two, perfectly healthy children!!! Though you wanted to know ;).


	11. Alien Biology

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki is different and Bruce is not that kind of doctor.

The thing was, Tony knew Bruce. Ever since their first meeting on the helicarrier, the two of them had clicked, and not only because Bruce was the only person who could follow Tony’s train of thought better than even the engineer himself sometimes.

Mostly it was because Tony had never been afraid of either Bruce Banner or the Hulk. That unique perspective had always given him the chance to really look at the man, take in his expressions instead of anxiously waiting for a disaster. Tony had even managed to talk Bruce into joining him for testing the latest suits on several occasions. The abandoned military base Tony was allowed to use got thrashed anyway, with or without the Hulk accompanying him.

It had taken only a few weeks of coaxing his science-brother into letting the other guy loose after the battle of New York. Together they had blown shit up, levelled a few barracks and raced each other. At the end of the day, there had been a huge feast for both Iron Man and the Hulk and Bruce had been considerably more relaxed after sleeping off his post-Hulk exhaustion.

~ ᗯ ~

So yes, more intimately familiar with the scientist than he cared to admit, Tony knew that despite his small, professional smile, Bruce was currently not sporting a happy face.

Ignoring the question, turning towards the pale god instead, Bruce asked, “You said that you … ahm … noticed your pregnancy about five weeks ago.”

When Loki nodded, unconsciously clutching his master’s fingers in fear, the scientist explained, “So give or take a few days he should be in his second month. These foetus however look more like they are in the middle of the third. They seem healthy and strong but they develop faster than they should. At least judging from everything I know.

“How long does a pregnancy usually last with you, Loki?”

“I …,” Loki stammered, uncertain. “I don’t know. I have never been pregnant in this form.”

“Shit,” Tony summarized their situation eloquently. “We need help.”

“There is nobody in Asgard who has even the most remote interest in helping me.” Loki stated absent-mindedly, still captivated by the moving images of his unborn children.

It would have been a sarcastic comment, easily brushed off, had the god not spoken with such utter sincerity. The look Bruce and Tony traded over his head said everything. The god might not have any support in his own realm but he sure as hell had it on Earth. Ignoring the barely suppressed noise of mourning when the images disappeared, Bruce carefully stored away the machine while Tony helped Loki to his feet.

“You need a shower, Bambi eyes, and then it’s off the bed for you.”

The tone of his master allowed no argument and dizziness aside, Loki had been on his feet for nearly twenty hours by now with little to no food. In all honesty, he did not even consider protesting the command.

It was humiliating that Stark had to help him to the shower, but Loki was more grateful than he cared to admit, even to himself. When the engineer was about to close the door, JARVIS had just blackened the windows to the rising sun, the fallen god whispered to the dark silhouette that filled his doorway. “Thank you, master. For … everything. And you don’t have to worry, I will make sure that the little ones will be healthy and whole, no matter the cost.”

“I know, Loki. Sleep now.”

~ ᗯ ~

Watching the sun come up seemed to have become a habit for Tony since Loki had been dropped on his doorstep. It was freezing cold on the roof, but watching the sun chasing away the darkness was cleansing.

About an hour after he had put Loki to bed, Tony stepped onto the common floor. He was a little surprised to find Steve making breakfast. Usually Captain America and his bird were running suicide laps in Central Park this time of the day. He was not surprised at all to find Bruce at the stove, preparing what looked like a disgustingly healthy omelette with goat cheese and sprouts.

Tony didn’t like sprouts. They looked like they were still growing when laying on his plate. He didn’t like his food to look like it was still growing while he was consuming it.

Focus! The engineer admonished himself. There was a problem and they had to find a solution! Simply because not finding a solution was not even an option. After having downed his first cup of coffee, the genius forced himself to admit, “We need help!”

Unable to supress his smirk, Bruce rubbed it in a little, “Why? Because I am not that kind of doctor or because we have no expert on alien pregnancy on this planet?”

“Maybe we can get one.” Steve suggested, stacking pancakes on Tony’s and his own plate.

Digging in, he rarely noticed how hungry he was until he actually got food, Tony nearly swallowed the first two pancakes whole. “What do you mean?”

Eating with far better manners, Steve actually swallowed his bite. “Well, you could get over your grudge against Thor and ask him.”

“I don’t hold a grudge against Thor.”

“Then why didn’t you talk to him since the restaurant?” Bruce chose a chair beside Steve and looked at his friend expectantly.

“I didn’t talk to you either,” Tony grumbled, not wanting to admit that he was still miffed about the Thundergod’s initial reaction to Loki’s lie. Mostly because he didn’t know what bothered him more: Thor’s lack of faith in him or delivering his brother into slavery without concern. Still, he knew his friends were right. If there was an expert on aliens on this planet, it was Thor. Even though he only knew of their inner workings because he smashed them on a regular basis.

Playing for time, Tony finished his breakfast much more slowly than usual, actually using the napkin Steve always laid out for him.

Aware that he was stalling but also knowing that pushing Iron Man would get them nowhere, Steve and Bruce didn’t say anything until the engineer carried his plate and mug to the sink.

“Dishes, Tony, really?” Steve muttered tiredly. He loved their eccentric genius, he really did, but sometimes the engineer needed a little push. “JARVIS, where is Thor?”

_“Master Thor is currently pacing his floor, Captain.”_

“Why would he do that?” Tony wondered, audibly irritated but secretly concerned.

 _“My assumption would be that he is worried about Master Loki.”_ JARVIS stated. _“After the incident in the gym he asked to be updated on his brother’s health.”_

“What?”

“Are you telling me that you have been spying on Loki for Thor?” Tony asked sharply, visibly fuming. “The guy who, without the slightest concern, handed him over to his torturers and rapists?”

The billionaire’s anger was so prominent that Bruce took deep breaths in sympathy, even though the other guy was not even remotely interested in the situation.

Since JARVIS was an AI, he did not share Bruce’s concern. His voice was perfectly even when he stated, _“No, Sir, I have been spying on Master Loki for you. I just see the wisdom of sharing my knowledge with the one person on this planet who actually knows him, when a health issue arises. Master Thor’s input could be vital to Master Loki’s wellbeing. In the end, as Doctor Banner points out regularly, he is not that kind of doctor. And he is no expert on aliens. No offence, Doctor Banner.”_

“None taken, you are right, after all.”

Glaring at one of the cameras, Tony ordered coldly, “Get Thor up here and don’t think for a second that I’m going to forget about this, JARVIS.”

 _“Of course not, Sir.”_ JARVIS answered calmly while relaying the message.

The stony silence was broken after a few moments when the AI added, _“I apologize, Sir. It was never my intention to anger you.”_

Were JARVIS a human, everybody would call his tone heartfelt and since Tony was his creator the engineer knew that his AI was capable of simulating that emotion, maybe even feeling it, his code was created to learning and adapt after all. Still, JARVIS’ honest apology didn’t save him from Tony’s ire. Yet, it did cut him some leniency. “I know that, JARVIS. But that doesn’t make it alright.”

Before he could elaborate on the subject the elevator opened, revealing a concerned looking Thundergod.

“How does my brother fare?” He asked instead of a greeting. “I am aware that I am not allowed to see him, but please tell me if there is anything I can do to help.” Looking at Tony imploringly, Thor stepped up to his friend, reaching out for the engineer but held himself back at the last moment, dropping his eyes.

Worried that Thor might sink to his knees again, these Norse gods seemed to have an inclination for that whenever they were making a request, Tony intercepted the god’s motion and pushed him into a chair. “First of all, of course you are allowed to see your brother. I just want him to have a place to feel safe after everything he has been through. You have to ask in advance when you want to come up. If Loki’s alright with you being here, so am I.

“Second, he’s well but sleeping after working with hazardous chemicals for twelve hours straight.”

The look on Thor’s face told Tony that he did not understand the last part, but didn’t dare to interrupt.

“We are more worried about the babies to be honest.” Bruce shared, when Tony didn’t continue.

“With my niece and nephew in peril, I am yours to command, my friend.” Thor offered, realizing that, despite Tony’s support at lunch, he still was not back in the engineer’s good graces. After everything that had happened to his brother, Thor honestly had not expected anything else. He had subjected Loki to torment and rape, simply because he had looked the other way as Odin had ordered him to. How very disappointed their mother would be when hearing about the rift between her children. He deserved this punishment, was supposed to make amends for all the harm he had allowed to befall his brother with his blind ignorance.

“That’s exactly the problem.” Tony sighed. “I wouldn’t hesitate to send you to the end of the universe to get some help. But with the increased growth-rate of Loki’s … of **our** children, I have not the slightest clue where to point you. Loki is convinced that there is no one in Asgard who is willing to help him. What do you think?”

Thor’s first instinct was to reach out to their mother. No matter if Loki was not her flesh and blood, she had loved him as much as Thor. Sometimes Thor had suspected even a little more since his brother was able to wield seiðr as expertly as Frigga had. It tore Thor apart to know that this was no longer an option. Still, there had to be a woman … a mother in Asgard he could ask for advice. After pondering on the question for a few minutes Thor rose all of a sudden. “I might … there could be someone who is willing to offer advice, even on my brother’s behalf. I will leave immediately and make haste to return.”

Before any of them could get a word in edgewise the god was gone. A flash of lighting that hit the roof not two minutes later told them that Thor had left the planet.

Hesitantly Tony asked, “Do we really think that he can find someone?” He wanted to believe in Thor, mostly because the Thundergod was their best option, but he was afraid to put all his money in one hand. There had to be something they could do here on Earth.

“There is nothing Thor wouldn’t do for Loki.” Steve stated with conviction. “If there is anybody in Asgard who can help, Thor will find her.”

“Or him,” Bruce added. “That’s part of the problem here. Loki’s biology, though human at first glance, is not human. His current predicament shows that perfectly.”

“And what can we do to keep Loki and our children safe until Thor returns?”

“The same we would do for every pregnant woman,” the doctor decided. “Enough sleep, healthy food and no toxic mixtures in his vicinity!”

~ ᗯ ~

When Loki was about to enter the kitchen in the middle of the afternoon, he found his master with a cup of coffee, talking to his invisible servant. Naturally he stopped and listened.

“Stop apologizing, JARVIS. I know that you are sorry. But you are still not getting what I am angry about.”

_“I never intended to aggravate you, Sir. And I did not want to go behind your back. Your wellbeing is my first and foremost concern in all things even before that of the other Avengers.”_

Putting down his cup so forcefully that the handle broke off, Tony swore a blue streak and threw it against the wall beside the door so that it shattered. Recognizing the cup as one of his master’s favourites, Loki glanced around the corner and hesitantly reached out for the pieces. He didn’t dare to make himself known, since his master was obviously in a very bad mood. The harsh words that followed were both a proof of Loki’s assessment and a surprise for the fallen god.

“Yes, and that’s the fucking problem, JARVIS! You should not concern yourself with ‘the other Avengers’. Your first and foremost concern after my wellbeing and Pepper’s should have been Loki’s!” The lack of reply told the engineer that his creation was unable to get his point. Sighing deeply he slipped onto the counter and leaned against the cupboards tiredly. “I gave you your own free will for a reason. I trust you, sometimes more than I trust myself, you know that. I invited the guy, who threw me out of a window, into our home, knowing perfectly well what a shitload of baggage he would bring with him. I banned one of my few friends from this floor, just so that he would have a place where, after everything he had been through, he could feel safe.

“How much time after Afghanistan, after the Chitaury, after Aldrich Killian did I need before I was able to leave my workshop again?”

_“Two days, five hours and thirty-seven minutes after Afghanistan and only because Mister Stane …”_

“That was a rhetorical question.”

 _“My apologizes once again, Sir.”_ The AI replied contritely. _“It seems that I am unable to predict your needs any longer.”_

“That is not true, JARVIS.” Tony comforted him softly. “You have known me longer and better than anyone. So come on, make an educated guess what I want for the father of my children.”

After a few tense seconds the AI answered, _“For him to feel safe … and happy.”_

Sagging against the cupboards Tony turned away from the camera and looked out of the window. Quietly he pondered, “I think happiness is not even an option for now, no matter how hard we try. But I would settle for him feeling safe.” After a little while he returned his gaze to the camera once again. “Do you think we can do that, JARVIS? With you not tattling to Thor and me being more attentive, more careful? I know Thor worries, but right now he can’t be our first concern, no matter if he can help or not. It has to be Loki’s decision if he wants his brother in his life or not. I won’t make that one for him.”

_“Even directing all of my processing power to the task, I am still not able to predict Master Loki’s reactions to certain situations and anticipate his needs. But I think we can try. The tower is the safest place in this city after all.”_

“Yea, we can try … It’s the only thing we can do after all, isn’t it?” He was tired, no, not tired: exhausted. Tony had managed to sleep for a few hours after Thor left. But now he felt the need to do something, to find a solution for a problem that potentially didn’t have one. And that ate at him. He could set JARVIS straight, but he could not make Loki better. Or keep him and their children safe. “We will have to do our best and hope that it is enough.”

~ ᗯ ~

Loki stood outside the kitchen. Motionless as his master sat on the counter within. He held the shards of the shattered cup between his hands, toying with them uncertainly because his mind had trouble catching up with what he had just heard. Contrary to Stark’s belief, Loki did not feel betrayed by JARVIS telling his brother about his condition. Thor cared, him asking the invisible servant was proof of that and the ‘adopted brother’ had waited for such a long time to gain such proof.

More importantly, Tony cared. Not when on display, in front of Asgardian guards or his friends or even the press. Tony cared when there was no one but him and his creations. He cared for a person who could not be less trustworthy. Who had brought him, his friends, his entire realm nothing but trouble and destruction! Yet here he was, discussing with JARVIS ways of how to keep him safe, even happy. Nobody but his mother and, on occasion his brother, had done that in the past.

All of a sudden, Loki felt the overwhelming desire to leave.

He should not be here. Not in this realm but especially not in this tower. Who was he to taint the lives of these people with his presence? He was a monster, destruction and cursedness incarnated. His sire had slaughtered millions, as had Odin, and Loki had set himself on the same path. The reasons for that did not even matter. All that mattered was the damage that would inevitably follow in his wake.

Closing his eyes, Loki leaned against the wall. He would not do it, he knew that much. He was the God of Lies, of Mischief. They called him Trickster and Silvertongue for a reason. From the earliest memories he had put his ideas, his own amusement before anybody else, sweet-talking his way out of any trouble he got himself, and sometimes even Thor, into.

Things had changed with the revelation of his true nature. He had been desperate to gain Odin’s approval, brushing aside even Thor and his unwavering loyalty. It had cost him everything: his parents, his brother, even his own sanity.  
He had played the cards the fates had dealt him after that. Had tried to make the most of it but in the end he had lost again. Sometimes he felt like he had never been given a sporting chance.

All he had learned from Odin’s final punishment, from his own ultimate defeat, was that he could never win so he had simply given up trying. Sure, he had been rebellious, even mischievous at the beginning of his sentence, but in the end he had stopped fighting … until the day he had nearly died. The day he had lost his grip on the dark elf’s seed and had once again felt life growing within him. Everything had changed. Love for someone beyond himself had filled his entire being. Everything had been concentrated on keeping his future children safe after conceiving them.

He had utilized his Silvertongue once again when he had been brought before Odin. Not caring about the Avengers, or Midgard, or all the destruction he had caused. All that had mattered were his children and the slim chance of giving them a better life than Vali and Narfi. His first sons had suffered for his mistakes, one transformed into a wolf killing the other. Even Hel, Fenris and Jormungandr had no happy lives, but at least they were safe. Two had been banished from the realm of their father while the third served as a mere pet for Odin. Sleipnir, his youngest child, was the only one he would consider content, but only because he was a horse and was satisfied when his basic needs were met.

And that was the very reason Loki knew that he would never leave. He wanted more for his children than safety. He needed to do everything in his power to win them a chance to be happy. What better way to achieve this than staying by the side of the human who was concerned with Loki’s happiness, no matter how little the fallen god deserved it. He was nothing at the moment, had nothing to give as a token of his gratitude. Nothing but …

~ ᗯ ~

Tony looked up when Loki entered the kitchen. The god still looked too pale and far too thin for his comfort and though he knew he should feed the guy, the engineer could not even bring himself to slide off the counter. The god apparently did not expect him to, because he stepped up to the human and gestured towards the handle Tony still held. When the engineer gave it up, the sorcerer gathered it with the other shards and closed his hands over them. The air between the two men filled with energy and a heartbeat later, the sorcerer offered the mended cup.

“You shouldn’t waste your energy like that, mending something I break.”

“And you should not care about a former enemy who tried to kill you. Yet you do.” Loki replied quietly.  
“I can’t feel safe here. Not now, not after everything that has happened. But sometimes, thanks to you, I am happy.”

~ ᗯ ~

Over the next few days Tony and Loki fell into an easy routine. They had agreed that DUM-E would do the actual cleaning so that the pregnant god could stay away from the chemicals. Loki would be responsible for the transport of the spare parts from and to the storage units.

When the first two cupboards were finished the god turned slave approached an unused workbench. This one was different from the others, layered with different kinds of stains. They were more colourful and much harder to remove. Mostly Loki scraped them off while the one-armed robot polished the surface after him. When opening one of the smaller drawers, he found pens, quills and markers stored haphazardly. The next drawer contained countless coloured pencils and the biggest one, in the middle, sketch books of various sizes.

“Master?”

Tony had acquired the uncanny ability to pull himself away from whatever project he was working on, when Loki requested his attention. Sadly it worked **only** with Loki for now, as Bruce and Pepper had repeatedly tested. Looking up, he gestured for JARVIS to reduce the music-volume. “Do you need anything?” Subtly checking the time, the engineer noticed that while he had worked for several hours straight, it was not even time for dinner.

Pepper would be so proud of him. He remembered to feed his resident god at least twice a day and made sure that the fridge in the workshop provided a constant supply of fruit and power bars Loki seemed to like. Alright, he had ordered JARVIS to take care of it, but it was the thought that counted.

A week away from torture and worse, combined with a semi-regular sleeping pattern, as well as enough food to satisfy the metabolism of a pregnant god, had done wonders for Loki. He did not look as haggard as before, if only barely. He still got that scared, haunted look sometimes but there were moments where he appeared content.

Tony wouldn’t call him happy, even if Loki did, but it was a start. So the engineer was only mildly concerned when the god demanded his attention. Extinguishing the blow-torch he approached the workbench Loki had obviously cleaned just now. Everything seemed to be in order.

“Are there … I was wondering if there are other people who share your space?” He didn’t mean to intrude, he really didn’t because it was not his place, but apart from cases of emergency, Loki had not seen a living soul occupying the workshop since coming here. Yet he had trouble seeing his master making use of coloured pencils and sharpies beyond marking where to cut and he surely didn’t need them in various colours for that.

Looking down at the Captain’s utensils, Tony nodded, “Sure, this is Steve’s workbench. The placing is important, or so I have been told. Something about the light. Over there is Bruce’s area. JARVIS, clear the walls.”

At the command, milky white walls turned clear, revealing an immaculate workspace with electronics not even Tony knew the names to.

With a sinking feeling Loki hinted, “They are not here because of me.”

Stark however didn’t seem to see the problem. With a shrug he returned to his project, “They wanted to give you time to adjust, and not crowd you. Nobody feels comfortable when constantly surrounded by strangers.”

‘No, you are not.’ Loki remembered the numerous journeys he had made at Thor’s side. The palace on Asgard that had felt foreign after his true nature had been revealed. Still, one question remained, “Why would they even care?”

Looking at Loki like this was the most ridiculous question ever, Tony did even deign to answer, “JARVIS, music.”

His ‘slave’ returned to cleaning Steve’s workbench, wiping the drawers and polishing each and every pencil with a soft cloth. On the bottom of the workbench he found several kneadable lumps in different colours. Turning them, testing their quite pleasant texture, the former god asked absent-minded, “JARVIS, what are these?” He had slowly gotten used to talking to an invisible non-person, and did not even flinch any longer when the sentient computer addressed him out of the blue.

 _“These are erasers, Master Loki.”_ The AI helpfully supplied. _“Captain Rogers prefers them because they are more precise than their inflexible counterparts. Additionally, he can build tiny models when he needs them. Forming them appears to comfort him when he hits an artistic block so to speak.”_

Tilting his head, Loki put them on the table again, infusing them with the tiniest amount of seiðr before thinking them into form. He couldn’t supress a smile when the substance followed his idea as if delighted to do so and after a few heartbeats a perfect, albeit tiny model of the golden palace in Asgard stood in the middle of the table. When the god reached for it to destroy it again, JARVIS voice stopped him mid-motion.

_“Master Loki, if I may, I think Captain Rogers would be delighted to see this.”_

“I should not have touched his belongings. That was unbecoming for a slave.”

_“Since you were extending your cleaning task to the Captain’s workspace, I am reasonably sure that Captain Rogers would not mind.”_

It was a gamble, Loki realized. Did he trust his experience or his master’s invisible servant? In any other realm he would not have hesitated to hide the proof of his actions, aware that it would bring him only mockery and pain. But Midgard was different. These people were different. When Loki stepped away from the workbench, giving DUM-E free rein with his polishing pad the tiny model still sat in the corner of the table, entirely untouched.

“Master, may I take my leave?”

Barley looking up, Tony waved his hand. “Sure, buzz off.” He needed about five seconds before the novelty of Loki’s request connected with his higher brain functions. Searching for the god, he found him patiently waiting for the elevator. “Uhm … where do you want to go?”  
He didn’t mean to sound so inquisitive, but Loki and the babies were his responsibility, so he had to ask.

“I wish to prepare dinner on the common floor.” A slave wishing for something. Loki needed every ounce of composure to not fidget under his master’s unbelieving stare. Such a statement would usually be met with a harsh reminder of his place by his master. Well, every master but Tony Stark.

“Oh … alright.” Diving back into his work, Tony just remembered the last second. “If you need anything fancy, just tell JARVIS. He will get it delivered for you.”

~ ᗯ ~


	12. Dinner?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki takes the initiative, in more ways than one. And Jarvis tries to be protective.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite having a stressful week, trulywished still made time to make my chapter all better. Thanks a lot, girl.

When the music stopped not two hours after Loki had left, Tony snapped. “What the hell?”

Unfazed by the engineer’s anger, JARVIS relayed the message he had been given. _“Master Loki requests you presence on the common floor. And if I may, Sir, a shower before arriving may be a good idea.”_

The billionaire wanted to protest and go up in greasy jeans and his torn shirt on principle, but somehow he had the feeling that this ‘invitation’ was important. Not to JARVIS and his sense of propriety but to Loki. So he took a quick shower and instead of pairing his clean jeans with one of his band-logo-shirts he reached for a button-up. Steve would have a field day should he see Tony. The man from the forties still tried to make them dress up when eating together.

When the engineer entered the common floor, his sense of smell was assaulted with myriad smells. Following his nose, he found the table in the dining room artfully set with golden plates and goblets that looked like the crystal glasses Pepper had bought once. Loki stood with his back to him and a rising charge in the air told Tony that he was doing magic again. With a closer look, he noticed that steam had begun to rise from the huge chunks of meat that made up the centrepiece of the table. Surrounding it were baked potatoes, fresh salads and steaming vegetables.

It looked mouth-watering. What drew Tony’s eyes, however, were Loki’s hands turning blue when he touched several glass-bowls and numerous bottles on the side-board. They were the team’s favourite beverages, the genius noticed, as was the food. Pricy wine, American beer, Russian vodka, exotic tea. Everything sat side by side with juicy meat, fresh fruit and foreign vegetables, rice, potatoes, and fresh baked bread. It was not even the variety of dishes that blew Tony’s mind but the care with which they had been chosen and arranged. Each one with the preference of an Avenger in mind.

“Did you conjure all this?” Tony asked after stepping up behind Loki to get a closer look at the wine selection.

Whipping around, clearly startled by the appearance of his master, Loki would have swept a two-thousand dollar bottle wine off the sideboard had Tony not caught it in time. The god blinked when staring at his master, clearly at loss for words at the first moment. Hesitantly, he hid his hands behind his back for a few seconds before reaching for the wine. Gingerly he took it from the engineer’s hands and replaced it on the counter.

He didn’t dare to meet his master’s eyes when he admitted after a minute of tense silence, “No, your artificial servant ordered them for me. He also helped me with the selection of the dishes.” When Tony didn’t say anything Loki continued slightly anxious. “JARVIS told me that I could make requests and that you would not mind them if they did not exceed a certain budget. He told me that this was well within the limits and I …” Swallowing heavily because his master had yet to move or say something, the fallen god pulled back a little, hunching in his shoulders. “I am sorry if I have been too bold in my assumptions. I could …?”

Overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness of the gesture, Tony only now tuned back in on his dark-haired god. “You wanted to make dinner. Why don’t we leave it at that?” This was more, this was time and effort. So much better than a simple dinner, but the engineer would leave it to the clearly relieved god to address that if he so desired.

“Thank you, master.”

“It’s Tony.” The billionaire corrected him reflexively before speaking up again. “JARVIS, tell the others that dinner is served. And that they should change before coming up.”

When the Avengers entered everybody starred at the assembled dishes in awe. They were surprised to hear that Loki had prepared them and shot Stark angry looks at first, until the engineer defended himself that he had not even thought about making Loki do all this. Only when the god agreed with his master did they all choose a place and start exploring their favourite dishes. The fallen god served drinks and was surprised when even Hawkeye accepted a beverage from his hands. He returned to his master at the head of the table and was surprised to see an empty chair at his side, not Captain America. Looking up he noticed that, although everybody had helped him- or herself to some food, no one had started eating yet. All looked at him expectantly.

The Captain explained when he detected Loki’s bewilderment. “On Earth, we have this social rule where it’s impolite to start eating before everybody is seated.” There was a heavy emphasize on the last word.

The god however shook his head. “Slaves don’t sit with their masters.”

Surprising him, the archer spoke up. “There are no slaves in this tower. Now sit down or everything will get cold.”

When Tony nudged back the chair by his side, Loki tentatively sat and that seemed to be the sign for everybody to start their meal.

As if this was the most natural thing to do, Tony switched his heavily laden plate with Loki’s empty one. It seemed to contain a piece of everything on the table. “Try it and then tell me what you liked best.”

Before Loki could take the first bite the Captain raised his beer and toasted. “To family, no matter how strange they come.”

“To family,” the others answered and started to enjoy their dishes.

He hesitated for a moment before he looked at his master and stated quietly, “Thank you, Tony,” before he started eating.

~ ᗯ ~

They all fell into some kind of routine after that. Slowly the assassin couple migrated into the workshop again, letting Tony show off his improvements for their equipment. If Loki ever felt bothered, he didn’t let it show, not even when arrows flew past him and annihilated one target after the other. He kept his head down, chose a new filthy cupboard to clean and if he took DUM-E’s place sometimes, assisting his master, the spies pretended not to notice.

Bruce was next to resume work in ‘his’ part of the lab. His inconspicuous and calm demeanour went a long way of easing their new god into having another person around on a daily basis. At times the god still seemed worried, especially when one test after the other failed and Bruce got so frustrated that he bellowed at Tony for leaving his equipment underfoot in the main part of the lab.

The engineer decided the same day that a testrun with his latest suit was in order. Calling his best friend he managed to clear the airspace over an abandoned military base. Though Bruce protested his own impending kidnapping by his science brother, Loki could see the doctor unclenching slightly. Though not familiar with Midgardian science, he had felt the beast stirring under the man’s skin. He did not know if there was a way to hold the doctor’s transformation back but what he had learned was that his master … Tony, did not even want to try.

In the billionaire’s opinion it was alright for ‘the other guy’ to make an appearance now and then. Loki didn’t share that belief, too scared that the behemoth would harm him and thus his children. What he had not expected was that Bruce, at least verbally, didn’t agree either. Yet the scientist agreed reluctantly that unleashing the beast could help his current state of mind.

After a week where people had regularly invaded the one place Loki had slowly begun to feel comfortable in, the god was truly looking forward of spending a day alone while attending to his duties.

Entering the workshop the next day proved his hope for solitude to have been in vain.

~ ᗯ ~

When the god entered the vast room the next morning, determined to prove to his master that he was worthy of his trust to be left alone in his sacred workspace, he found the floor littered with sketches. A frantic Steve Rogers kneeled in the middle of them, surrounded by pencils, charcoal and wax crayons. The supersoldier seemed fascinated with the tiny model of the palace Loki had created a few days ago and tried to capture it on paper. His attempts however appeared to have been unsuccessful since even the most detailed sketches had landed on the floor.

For a moment Loki wondered if he should leave, but then he realized how pathetic that would be. The captain harboured no ill will against him ever since his father … since Odin had thrown him at Tony Stark’s feet. His sentence had been an unending nightmare before but on Midgard things were different. He suffered no abuse, was not tortured at the whim of his owner. People cared. So Loki stepped up to the Captain and tentatively put a hand on the man’s shoulder.

Ever the born warrior, the Captain jumped to his feet and lashed out. Having learned the signs of a human in dire need of rest, the fallen god recognized the motion for what it was: a reaction forced by an exhausted mind. For a single second, the soldier wavered on his feet. He looked slightly contrite when taking in the chaos he had caused. “It was,” he began, rubbing his neck. “I couldn’t sleep and since I knew I wouldn’t bother anyone at three in the morning, I came here to collect some pencils. But then I saw this amazing model and wanted to draw it. But not even my eyes seem to be able to take in all the details and …” A wide yawn interrupted his rambled explanation, but Loki didn’t need to hear more.

“Captain, why don’t you take a nap while I sort this out and then you can try again? You would surely be more successful when well rested.”

Kneeling down again, shuffling through his papers, Steve shook his head. “No, you shouldn’t have to pick up after me. You are not my servant.”

Daring to cover the Captain’s hands with his own, mirroring their positions from two weeks ago, the fallen god reminded him, “No, I am Tony Stark’s slave, by decree of the Allfather. In any other realm that would entail torture, punishment and abuse. But on Midgard my master trusts me to act in his spirit when he is gone. I think that includes lending a helping hand to his friends. You don’t want me to fail him, do you?”

“We don’t do slavery on Earth,” the Captain tried to argue, but as an accomplished liar the fallen god could see right through him. “And I don’t have to sleep a lot since the serum.”

“Asgard has slavery, hence my sentence.” The god turned slave clarified. “This very moment Heimdall or Odin could be watching me. The heartbeat they don’t think me sufficiently punished, they will pull me out of this realm and away from the only person I could safely entrust my children to. And little sleep hardly means none, Captain. How well would you perform should an emergency arise right now? So please, make use of the couch and let me perform duties that keep me safe. They are easy enough.”

Hesitating, clearly Steve Rogers was not a huge fan of this situation, he finally relented and staggered towards the couch. Loki could feel the human’s eyes on him … for all of three minutes. When he looked over his shoulder, he found the human fast asleep and DUM-E was rolling over with a blanket he knew all too well. For a moment, Loki hesitated. He knew the haunted look only nightmares caused. Magic could ease the soldier’s troubled mind.

Why was he even considering wasting his seiðr on another? Someone not even his master?

For the same reasons he ‘wasted’ it on Virginia: because the human would probably like what came of it. He had started to work with the chain and the crystal he had requested from JARVIS the day after his arrival, saving away what little energy he had to spare to create something that would be magnificent; worthy of his mistress.

The Captain was very ‘traditional’. Loki doubted that he would appreciate having put a spell on him. As a sorcerer however, there were other options. “JARVIS?”

_“How may I assist you, Master Loki?”_

The god and the AI had come to peace with each other. Loki asked things of interest more and more and JARVIS sometimes talked to him unexpectedly. This slightly forced interaction became easier every day. The god learned to see JARVIS as just another inhabitant of the tower instead of his jailer. The AI apparently enjoyed watching Loki doing magic because he always asked questions when the sorcerer worked with the yellow crystal. At the beginning the god had thought him a spy for his master. But when confronting Stark, the human had been genuinely surprised by the idea.

So Loki learned more about Midgardian science every day and Jarvis learned about magic. Therefore the god didn’t hesitate to request. “I need an Amethyst. About the size of my fist. Slightly bigger would be better. Would that exceed my budget?”

After a few seconds JARVIS wanted to know, _“Should it be a raw crystal? Does it have to be pure? Would you prefer it to be cut a certain way?”_

“It has to be as pure as possible.” Loki pondered. “But I can mend minor cracks and remove impurities as long as the stone in largely in one piece. No special cut is needed, actually, the more natural it would be the better.”

After another ten seconds JARVIS informed him, _“A stone will be delivered to the workshop within the next thirty minutes. I’m afraid traffic is horrible at this time of the day.”_

Having started collecting the scattered sketches Loki mumbled absent minded, “Thank you, JARVIS.”   
Most of these were quite good from the god’s point of view. They lacked detail and vibrancy but you couldn’t expect a perfect work from someone as young as Steve Rogers. Especially not with a model so crude. After stacking the pictures, Loki drifted towards the scrap metal-bin. Maybe he could …

There was enough of the golden metal. Some very heavy, very dark scraps and a few pieces of colourful metal because they had already been painted before Tony had demolished them. “JARVIS, do you think Tony would mind if I took some of these?”

_“Certainly not, Master Loki.”_ After a few moments of silence he asked. _“Will you do more magic?”_

Had Loki not known JARVIS to be a machine he would have called his question eager. And even knowing that the intelligence was artificial, he did.

_“Master Loki?”_

The machine sounded hesitant, so the god stopped his process of gathering metal. “Is something wrong?”

_“Not at all, Master. Just … this lab is the place where the most sensors are available to me. And I am not sure if I can keep all my readings ‘private’. Sir checks my sensors and history quite often.”_

“Are you telling me to hide so that Tony won’t discover me doing magic?” Loki asked surprised. He had wanted to believe in the sincerity of the AI, but to warn him in advance showed a degree of loyalty to their unspoken arrangement the fallen god had not expected. His first instinct was to heed JARVIS’ advice, but on his way to the elevator he hesitated. His master had never forbidden him to do magic. He was not allowed to harm anybody, but what he was about to do was hardly harmful.

“Is there a place where you can watch best?”

A table near the centre of the lab lit up and Loki put his gatherings there. Testing his mystic resources, he started to spread the metal on the surface. This would barely need a fraction of his powers but still more then he could regenerate on Midgard in a week. He would not overtax himself with this. Forming inanimate objects was child’s play. But he would need energy for the crystal as well. Maybe it was better to wait, to build up more resources. What defence did he have without his magic? Looking towards the couch he shook his head and closed his eyes.

The metal felt strange but oh so beautiful. Even the basic structure of the alloy was perfect. They flowed into the desired form nearly by themselves, accepting different kinds of metals into their midst, surrounding them like a lover’s embrace. Opening his eyes again, Loki watched the flow, corrected minor irregularities in the colours he saw. Magic had to be perfect when used, so the result should be as well. When he was finished, the golden model of the Asgardian Palace was the size of about one square foot and could be transported easily since it was compact yet mostly hollow.

When Loki turned at a whirring noise from his left, he took the smoothie DUM-E offered with a smile. “You don’t have to bribe me. You can just look.” Instantly the one armed robot started to wheel around the table, filming the model from every angle.

Powering down his sensors Jarvis remarked. _“That was quite extraordinary. Thank you for allowing me to see it. However, the crystal you requested has been delivered a few minutes ago. It was placed right outside the door.”_

Turning towards the door after placing the model on the Captain’s workbench Loki noticed the walls were opaque. “JARVIS, what happened to the walls?”

_“To keep your sorcery private, I shielded you from prying eyes.”_

With a smile Loki unboxed the semi-precious stone and took a moment to admire its beauty. It was not perfectly cut, far from it. But the jarred edges and minor imperfections spoke of a natural growth that made it beautiful in Loki’s eyes. Gathering his energies he enveloped the stone, allowing his seiðr to flow thorough it. The crystal itself captured only what it needed to heal the flaws and cracks it had suffered when men had broken it from its birthplace. Carrying it to the couch where the Captain rested somewhat uneasily Loki blew a cold breath over the stone, urging more of his seiðr to be captured within. Words whispered in a language far older than humans made it glow and even when the light vanished, a spark remained at its centre.

This was no sleeping spell. Placing the crystal on the table beside the once frozen soldier would not automatically guarantee a restful sleep. It just increased the chance for it greatly. Amethyst helped calm a person, allowed him or her to rest easier. They were powerful paraphernalia for sleeping spells if needed. But today the Asgardian sorcerer only meant to help, not to bewitch. Surely his master would approve.

Returning to his self-assigned task, sorting through the content of a set of drawers, Loki turned around after an hour when he heard the good Captain exhale powerfully. Looking at the soldier out of time the fallen god wondered about how often Steve Rogers had found restful sleep ever since the ice. Looking at the man now, he realized how very young this human had to be. Surely younger than any other Avenger.

Even when not fighting, this man always appeared to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, not unlike his br… like Thor when he was serving as Odin’s heir. Only when sleeping restfully did this weight lift and Loki made a bet with himself of how much recuperating sleep his crystal would be able to grant this soldier. He might need several days to make up for the rest he had been lacking over the decades. A healing trance would be best, but Steve Rogers was human. The fallen god would consider his plan successful if he managed to help the Captain to get at least twenty four hours of peaceful rest.

~ ᗯ ~

The Captain had risen twice to relieve himself and drink water when the fallen god had offered some. Afterwards he had curled up on the couch again, closing half-open eyes, returning to his restful sleep. Since Loki’s day had been otherwise lonely he stopped working shortly after six, hoping that he would catch Virginia and share a meal with her. Though still captivated by something on her Stark-pad, his mistress was already wandering her floor in short trousers, a long shirt. When Loki suggested dinner she summoned a menu into thin air and prompted him to pick something.

When they traded dishes while watching the news later, the fallen god came to realize how much he enjoyed the meatless dishes Virginia usually preferred. Despite her protests, he slid to the floor once they were finished, still not entirely comfortable sharing the sofa with her. When she supressed a sigh while casually rubbing her wrist, Loki tentatively reached out and, despite Virginia’s protests, started to massage her foot. Her protests became half-hearted and died after a minute. After three more minutes she sank against the backrest and closed her eyes.

“Oh my god, your fingers are magical.” She groaned. “How do you know how to give such an excellent foot-massage?”

“My miss…,” the slave started before he caught himself. No, his first mistress was the last person he wanted to think about right now!  
“I was taught,” he replied instead, shoving away the memories of the numerous times his hands had been flogged because he had not been willing to serve his mistress as expected. He had caved in the end because no hands had meant no food. Nobody had been willing to feed a stubborn slave; at some point the hunger and his will to survive had become too great.

Not pulling way but not encouraging him either, Pepper reached out and calmly dragged her fingers through Loki’s hair. “You don’t have to do this. You know that, right? I won’t lie to you and say that I don’t like it because I do! I’m just not expecting it from you. You being here, Tony’s and my support, it is not tied to you offering service. At least not these kinds of services.”

He had known that, realized it the night of the fundraiser when Tony had promised that he would never take advantage. Still it was a relief to hear it spelled out. Especially from a woman Loki had come to trust implicitly. He didn’t **have** to do this, but, “What if I want to? Your feet were hurting. I made it better, did I not?”

Smiling at the dark-haired god, Pepper relaxed again and confirmed. “You most definitely did.”

“Good,” the god decided, picking up his massage again, pointedly returning his attention to the screen. He wanted to do this. For the simple reason that Virginia would feel better and he would not be punished if he didn’t.

~ ᗯ ~

The next morning Loki's first thought went to the current inhabitant of his master's workshop. "JARVIS, is Captain Rogers still asleep?"

_"Yes, Master Loki, though his increasing movements indicate that he will wake soon."_

Nodding to himself, deciding to prepare breakfast for the usual occupants of the lab, Loki entered the kitchen, deciding on ham and cheese muffins. He had learned that particular recipe from a cooking show he had secretly watched when Tony had fallen asleep on the couch. A versatile slave was a useful one, he had justified his interest to himself. He was just sliding the muffin-tin into the oven when his master entered the kitchen, bleary eyed.

Knowing Tony by now, Loki filled a prepared cup with fresh coffee and put it in his master's hand. Taking the first sip Tony sank onto a chair, sighing happily. "You are a blessing," the engineer mumbled, holding his cup like it was a lifeline. "Nobody makes better coffee than you."

Turning away to hide the smile this compliment managed to conjure every time, Loki was spared a reply when Virginia entered the kitchen. She was already sharply dressed and clearly more awake than Tony. The engineer immediately turned towards her and held up his cup. "Honestly, try that Pepper. This is the best coffee in a hundred mile radius."

Kissing him, Pepper smiled. "I know Tony. You tell me so every morning." Gratefully she accepted the thermos-cup Loki had just prepared for her. She had an early meeting as she had told him yesterday and appreciated the caffeine-to-go.

Loki had expected the smile when his mistress took the coffee. What he hadn't expected was her kissing him chastely before heading towards the elevator. Loki could only stare after her, his fingertips grazing over his lips.  
The fallen god could not remember the last time a woman had touched him that way: tender and affectionate, without innuendo, just to express her affection. The annoying beeping of the oven pulled him out of his thoughts, reminding him that breakfast was ready. Mechanically he pulled out the baking tin, glad that the muffins were the same golden-brown colour they have been on the show.

"You liked that, didn't you?"

Tony's voice was soft but Loki couldn't help but tense at the question. Depending on the mood of his master, there was either no wrong or no right way to answer.

Sensing Loki's growing unease Tony stepped up to him and pulled his hands away from the hot baking tray he was still clutching. The god whispered fearful, eyes glued to the muffins, "I did not make advances unsuitable for my position. I swear."

Pulling Loki towards the sink, letting cold water run over his red hands, the engineer shrugged, "Considering that Pepper would roast you like a chicken if you had, I believe you." Tony was calmingly rubbing the god's pulse points with his fingers until his fingers started to freeze because of the cold water. At least Loki's hands seemed alright again. Sensing that there was more to this than met the eye, the engineer tried a shot in the dark, "Do you want her?"

The way Loki startled and pulled back, busying himself with the muffins said it all, so the billionaire decided not to torment him further. He just reminded him calmly, "If you hurt her, I will end you."

"Why … why would you say that?" After everything he had seen in this house, his master's warning did not make the slightest sense. “I would never!”

Shrugging, Tony looked out of the window, hoping that the clear morning-sky would offer some inspiration. Sadly the heavens refused to be helpful so the engineer chose a blunt approach, "I love her. And if she wants something, I'm inclined to get it for her."

"She said, just last night, that she did not expect that kind of service," the slave stammered, completely at loss.

"She doesn't, because after everything that has happened to you that would simply be wrong. But that does not mean that she would not take what is offered freely."

Dread pooled in Loki's stomach. He could barely force the words out of his mouth. He had let himself believe that he was safe here, safe from unwilling advances but … "What about you, master?"

Snorting Tony took the last sip of his coffee before pouring another cup. "I think that ship has sailed the night of the fundraiser."

When the god shook his head uncomprehending the billionaire explained, "I doubt that you will ever be able to separate me from your former masters in your mind. And I told you: I would never expect you to share my bed just because that’s the way things were before. I'm not that much of an asshole."

"But mistress would." Loki regretted the words as soon as they were spoken. His master had just shown him a way to repay Virginia's kindness and he had ruined it for himself by drawing parallels between her and his former mistress.

His master seemed to catch this because he paled, "What the hell? No! Absolutely not! Pepper is not expecting **anything** from you! For fuck's sake, you're an attractive guy, you know that. Everybody with eyes knows that. But that does not mean that anybody has the right to touch you if you don't want it. And that certainly includes Pepper and me. Don't worry, I will talk to her and explain that her kissing you makes you uneasy. It won't happen again. I'm sorry she made you uncomfortable.

"JARVIS …"

Before the god realized what he was doing, his hand shot out, enclosing his master's wrist. "Don't," he started, his mind slowly catching up with his actions. Deliberately tracing Tony's hand with the tips of his fingers, proving to them both that the contact did not make him feel uneasy, Loki shook his head. "Please refrain from doing so, Tony. Mistress' touch … it does not make me uncomfortable."

The moment he said it, he realized that it was true. Virginia Potts' lingering caresses and her gentle kiss put something in Loki at ease. Something he had not even noticed growing tense when he had grown too distant from Sigrun to be affectionate.

"Good," Tony smiled, chasing Loki's fingers with his own. "She likes you, a lot. The last thing she would want is for you to feel uncomfortable in your own home."

~ ᗯ ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo, Pepper likes Loki as well. What do you think?


	13. Doing Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now we learn about the consequences of Loki doing magic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to address a few issues that came up repeatedly in the comments:
> 
> Tony is literally making this up as he goes. He knows that slavery is wrong but has no idea how to make it better. He tries to give Loki what he needs without really understanding most of his issues. Steve and the rest of the Avengers try their best to support him and keep an eye on him at the same time. Just because Tony Stark has a heart that occasionally does stupid things does not mean that his friends are not worried about the consequences of his decisions, or the danger that comes from them. Still, Loki is in a bad place right now and everybody accepts that. They have all done horrible things in their past and while they can't forgive, they can occasionally turn a blind eye on it for now. At least until Loki proves not to be trustworthy once again.  
> So everybody at the tower kind of acts in a 'hope for the best but expect the worst' spirit. (ALL of them, I mean it ;).)
> 
> Have fun reading.

When the god piled muffins, cream-cheese and the rest of the breakfast-supplies on a tray he realized how very appropriate his master's description of this tower had been. For a very long time, ever since learning about his true nature, Asgard had not been 'home' to him any longer. True, this place was strange and he was a slave but there were moments where he felt absolutely at ease and safe. Not ridiculed for his magic or judged for not being a 'real' warrior, just comfortable with himself and the people around him.

In the beginning, it had only been Virginia and Tony, but yesterday, after ensuring a comfortable sleep for the Captain, Steven Rogers had made that list. Good things did not last, not for Loki Silvertongue, the God of Mischief, but he could at least enjoy this temporary home as long as he was allowed to have it.

Entering the workshop after his master, he nearly ran into Tony when the human froze mid-step. The engineer asked unbelieving, "Is there an American Icon sleeping on my couch?"

Smirking because he had just won the bet with himself; the soldier had to have been beyond exhausted if he managed to sleep for more than a full day. Loki nodded, "Yes." He started to divide the majority of the food between a small table in Dr. Banner's part of the lab and the Captain's drawing table.

Not letting this go so easily, Tony approached the couch and looked at the sleeper. "How long has he been sleeping on my couch?"

_"Approximately twenty-four hours and thirty-seven minutes, Sir."_ JARVIS supplied helpfully.

Aware that the Captain was one of the few people who rivalled his own insomniac tendencies, Tony looked around and instantly spotted the crystal. Picking it up, he noticed the tiny spark that illuminatedits centre. Easily drawing the correct conclusions, Tony sat on the coffee table and looked at the sorcerer who seemed determined to arrange the breakfast beverages to perfection. "You did magic yesterday, and not the protective kind."

Denying the obvious would only make this situation worse, so Loki stepped aside to reveal the model of the palace. "Yes, master."

Rising, placing the crystal beside the model, Tony looked at both. He tried to assess the situation from a logical point of view. Loki had never promised, nor had Tony made him, to forgo any use of magic. So there was no reason for him to feel betrayed. Taking a deep breath the billionaire made the conscious effort to unclench his fists, looking at a god who had placed himself and his future kids at his mercy. He was spared from speaking his first, probably quite unfair thought by Bruce entering the lab.

"Loki did magic," Tony spat out, ignoring how the accusing tone made the dark-haired god flinch.

"Really," Bruce asked calmly. "And you are surprised why?"

Distancing himself from the table, Tony shook his head, "That is **not** what the other guy was talking about."

Taking the tea Loki was offering with trembling hands, Bruce nodded gratefully before contradicting his friend, "Yes, Tony, that is **exactly** what Hulk was talking about!"

~ ᗯ ~

Hulk and Iron Man's daytrip to one of Rhodey's abandoned weapon's test areas had not exactly gone as planned. Of course Tony had had fun testing his new suit and racing Hulk through the desolated areas. It had helped the both of them blow off some steam. But after a while, when Hulk had gotten the first violent impulses out of his system, the behemoth had started throwing stones at Iron Man.

It had been nothing, really, small boulders at best. Yet it had gotten the message across that he was angry with the engineer. After tolerating this for a few minutes, until one of the stones hit his shoulder, damaging one of his sensors, Iron Man had landed in front of the big guy and pulled back his helmet.

Others would call Tony, really every Avenger who approached the green behemoth when angry, a fool for letting his guard down. But the Avengers knew better. When Hulk was not in the middle of a furious outbreak, he would never hurt any of them intentionally. They were his friends, the first he had ever had and he was quite protective of them. Tony counted on that and the other guy proofed him right by roaring but not touching him now that his head was unprotected.

Looking up at the Hulk unafraid, Tony asked, "What is it, big guy? What did I do that made you so angry with me?"

"PUNY GOD IN OUR HOME!"

"Really, you too?" Tony shook his head incredulous. "From all the people on this team, you are the one who has to worry the least! He can't even hurt you, least of all without magic."

"YOU GAVE MAGIC!" Hulk roared.

Shaking away the ringing in his ears, Tony consented. "First of all, tune it down a notch or my eardrum will burst. Second, yes, I gave him magic, but only to protect our children."

Clearly unwilling to go into greater depth, Hulk grumbled slightly more quietly than before. "CAN HURT YOU. CAN HURT CAPTAIN, HAWK, WIDOW. CAN DO MAGIC, WILL DO MAGIC!" The green behemoth insisted. "LIKE PUNY BANNER: CAN DO STUFF, WILL DO STUFF."

The word 'science' had always flown right over Hulk's head, so everything that was not fighting, eating or sleeping was just 'stuff' for him. In the brief conversations the team had had with him in the past, they had learned to distinguish between 'stuff', depending on the person who did it.

Problem right now was that Hulk was right. Magic was Loki's 'stuff' and it was naïve, bordering on being stupid to think that a sorcerer would forgo all chances of doing it. Still …

Slowly coming closer, Iron Man clapped the other guy's shoulder before deciding. "Well, you're most likely right. I guess we have to trust him that he won't do magic that harms us. He's still a pregnant slave out of favour with his people. He has nothing to gain by attacking us."

"HULK WANTS TO PROTECT TEAM. HULK CAN'T PROTECT ALL AT SAME TIME."

"I know, big guy. It was a leap of faith to invite him into our home. Let's just hope it will be a soft landing."

Thinking hard about the metaphor for a few minutes, the behemoth finally decided, "HULK TIRED."

Smiling at his transformed friend, the engineer retracted his gauntlet and gently touched the other guy's arm. "Then go to sleep, big guy. We are safe here."

~ ᗯ ~

Rubbing his face Tony turned from Bruce; who was already entering his part of the lab, smiling at the big breakfast Loki had laid out for him; back to the god in question. "Alright, Loki, why did you do it?"

'Tell the truth!' The command was unspoken but clearly implied.

"Would you," Loki cleared his throat when the first words came out pathetically weak. "Would you consider permission for me to make these my boon? I rarely call them in and you know that I never lie to you."

Shaking his head, Tony sank into the chair Steve had pushed away yesterday in his attempt to capture the details of the tiny palace. "Though I am a great fan of 'ask for forgiveness rather than permission', you are avoiding the question. And to collect a boon I would undoubtedly have granted, you have to ask in advance."

"Would you?" Loki asked unexpectedly. "Had I told you that I wish to do magic, would you really have allowed it?"

"If you had explained your plans in advance, sure. Why not?"

Shaking his head, Loki wrapped his arms around himself. "You are lying! Why would you allow me to use my seiðr? I could harm you considerably with it."

Not understanding where all the defensiveness was coming from, all of a sudden, Tony approached the god, showing his hands as if calming a frightened animal. "Because it's part of who you are. I don't take Cap's art supplies or Barton's bow away from them either. Both could hurt me with them as well. Hell, not a single inhabitant of this tower would need supplies to harm the others. We are all living together in good faith that we have each other's backs."

Tilting his head, trying to capture Loki's eyes who resolutely looked at the floor, Tony tried to spell it out once again, "You are sleeping on my floor. I trust you not to harm Pepper or me when we sleep. Why should the means with how you do or don't do it matter to me?"

Pulling the god who was by now shaking like a leaf into his arms, Tony tried to radiate calm when he heard Loki breathe out, "How can you trust me, with your life and that of your loved ones? Nobody has ever done that outside of a battle."

Allowing the god to calm, the engineer stated after a while, "You still haven't answered the question, Loki. Why did you do it?"

Pulling back, barely meeting Tony's eyes, Loki whispered, "To help the Captain."

Nodding once, Tony demanded, "Explain."

Raising his head briefly, meeting the eyes of the soldier in question who had been woken by all the commotion, Loki admitted, "When seeing Master Rogers yesterday, he was trying to draw a model of the golden palace I have formed from his bendable erasers. He already appeared overly tired, though he was reluctant to go to sleep. I see things, master … Tony. Captain Rogers is too much like my brother to find rest. He always carries the weight of this realm on his shoulders. Since I knew you wouldn't approve of me putting a sleeping spell on him, I did the next best thing: I enhanced the natural abilities of one of your Midgardian crystals to help him find rest on his own."

Approaching the pair, Steve asked confused, "So you put a sleeping spell on the crystal?"

"No, Captain." Loki shook his head. "The stone only carries enough magic to radiate its calming properties in a very small radius, five or six feet at best. It was supposed to help your body find the serenity it would need to rest peacefully. Had you not been tired, you would not even have fallen asleep."

The idea seemed to intrigue Banner, because he stepped up to the table as well, picking up the crystal. "I don't feel anything."

"Do you want to be calm, Doctor?"

"Not particularly, no."

"This stone can't force a feeling on an unwilling person. The intent to sleep has to be there for it to work," the alien sorcerer explained. "This is no enchantment, just a minor boost of what is already there."

Scoffing Steve remarked, "I doubt that a 'minor boost' would have made me sleep for twenty five hours. I usually catch about three a night."

Bruce shook his head. "Just because you can function on three, doesn't mean that your body couldn't do with more."

Quietly Loki asked, "When was the last time you truly had a restful night?"

Clearly surprised by the question, Steve admitted tonelessly, "The week before Bucky enlisted: September 1940."

"Shit," Tony mumbled, reaching for the stone. "Maybe you should put this on your bedside table then."

"I can't afford to sleep that much!"

"Why not?" Bruce asked calmly. "I guess we have already established that Loki doesn't mean us harm. He had plenty opportunities to do so already. Don't look at me like that, Tony. Of course the other guy doesn't trust him, but if there is one place where Steve should be able to feel safe it's the tower!"

Realizing that he had more or less weathered this storm, Loki offered tentatively, "If you wish I could show you what I have done, mas… Tony. JARVIS was watching me."

"Really?" Tony perked up. "Awesome! Bruce, wanna watch some magic?"

While Tony and Bruce relocated their meals to Tony's monitor-phalanx, the god and the soldier stayed behind. Pointing at the model, Steve enquired, "Did you need a lot of magic to set this up?"

"More than I needed for the crystal, but ..."

"But what, Loki?"

Looking at the muffin he had pulled apart, Loki shrugged. "You seemed distressed about not getting the details right yesterday. I looked through your sketches when collecting them. You are quite skilled. With enough time and effort you could create wonders untold. Even without magic. JARVIS assured me that Tony would not mind me using the scrap-metal. I wanted to give you a model worthy of your effort. And it …"

When Steve just looked at him expectantly, the sorcerer finished after a heartbeat, "It felt good to be able to make use of my seiðr again. Not because I had to, because I was hurt or injured or because I had to make up for a mistake, but just because I could."

"You miss it a lot, don't you?"

Not willing to admit to yet another weakness, the god pondered, "How would you feel not to be able to draw?"

Smiling inwardly, remembering cold and wet campsites with pen and paper as his only comfort, Steve picked up the last of his muffins and his cup of coffee. "Thanks for the breakfast, Loki. I really appreciated it."

If someone in the lab noticed that the amethyst vanished together with the now well-rested Captain, nobody mentioned it.

~ ᗯ ~

Days passed. Nobody heard from Thor. Loki received an ultrasound every other day and though he revelled in watching his children grow, he also noticed the increasing tension in the doctor. Still, every time Loki inquired about it, he was told that his children looked perfectly healthy.

~ ᗯ ~

Clint and Natasha were working in countries unknown and Bruce finally felt safe enough on his own skin to attend a science conference in Silicon Valley on his own. Tony had received an invitation as well but had opted to stay at the tower. All day he had tweaked the latest Stark-phone to integrate Loki’s magic. He wanted a running prototype for Thor to call Jane when in Asgard. Since all realms were connected according to their gods, it was all a question of finding the right frequency and broadcasting a strong enough signal. At least in theory.

So far he had fried about a dozen circuit boards and was no closer to succeeding than he had been at the beginning. But he and Loki had a lot of fun trying. The god had become far more relaxed around the humans he had learned to trust. This evening they planned on introducing Steve to the cinematic masterpiece that was E.T. Loki was actually looking forward to it.

The Captain had spent the day either in the gym, the farmer’s market or the lab to create the umpteenth sketch of the palace. Ever since seeing the model for the first time he had tried to draw it at least once a day. Until now he had not managed to capture it perfectly. That was mostly to blame on Loki who had asked Tony’s permission to use his magic to change the model daily. Mostly he tweaked small things, but his mischievous streak revelled in it. He and his master even had a bet going on how long the Captain would need to see through their game. So far all his sketches had different angles, making it nearly impossible for him to spot the changes.

Loki had left with Steve to try a new recipe. Tony was playing around with some equations when Pepper entered the lab to pick him up. She had already changed out of her business attire into comfortable jeans and a tight top. Immediately Tony brushed his work aside and pulled her between his legs. “Are you sure we have to watch a movie with the kids? I could sneak in some juice and sandwiches, maybe some candy bars and we could hide until Monday.”

“And miss Loki and Steve watching ‘E.T. call home …’?” She raised her finger, pointing up until Tony snatched it and nibbled on the tip. She pulled her hand away after a minute, replacing it with her mouth.  
For quite some time, the two just enjoyed being together. Not having pressing matters to attend or a crisis to weather. After a while Pepper turned away and looked at the equations and yet another fried phone. “You enjoy working with him, don’t you?”

Shrugging, picking up a piece of equipment, Tony admitted, “Sure, if he’s not trying to take over the world he’s quite alright. We kind of clicked. Like me and Bruce.”

“But not exactly like you and Bruce. Am I right?”

“Am I really that transparent?” Tony asked, getting uncomfortable.

Carding her fingers through his short strands until he placed his head on the centre of her chest, she comforted him. “Only to me. And probably to Natasha, but Nat sees everything.”

Hiding his face, Tony mumbled. “Do you think he knows?”

Avoiding the question, Pepper chose a different approach. “I think he trusts us. He might entertain some ideas but I guess … I hope he knows that we ultimately won’t do anything.”

“We?” Tony finally looked up, scrutinizing Pepper.

“Do you feel uneasy with that idea?”

Sighing Tony gestured for JARVIS to save his work. "Yes … No … I don't know."

"Are you still jealous?" Pepper inquired with half a smile.

Pushing away from the table, Tony started to pace his lab. "Loki's not Aldrich Killian, I know that. It would be hypocritical of me to deny you a fascination I share. I want you to be happy as long as you …"

"Oh, Tony …," she intercepted his pacing, forced him to look at her, "I came to you when you produced weapons of mass destruction. I stayed through the first Iron Man, the palladium poisoning. I was by your side despite you doing everything in your power to push me away after the battle of New York. I remained here even though I had nightmares of burning you alive after Extremis. I love you and nobody will ever change that!"

"He's a god." Tony injected half-heartedly while pulling her close.

"That's right," Pepper nodded. "What would he ever do with a mortal?"

Taken aback, Tony shook his head. "Loki adores you. Everybody can see that."

"Maybe, but I would never trade you for him."

"We could share." He suggested with a crooked smile.

" **We** could," Pepper confirmed. "But we both know that we would never do this to Loki. Because then we would be no better than his former master and mistress."

"What if he wants it?"

"Do you really think that he is in any position to make that decision?"

Sighing frustrated, Tony grumbled, "I hate it when you act as my conscience. Life is no fun that way."

Grinning Pepper kissed the tip of his nose. "You adore me for it."

"Yes." Tony took her hand so they could walk to the elevator. "I really do."

~ ᗯ ~

A delicious smell wafted through the common floor when Tony and Pepper entered. Proudly Loki announced that they were serving risotto with asparagus and parmesan, accompanied by chicken breasts for Steve and Tony since both men rarely were satisfied when only being served 'rabbit food' (Tony's choice of words, not Steve’s).

A storm was brewing when they relocated to the couch, starting the movie while nibbling on the cupcakes the Captain had bought for dessert. Right after Drew Barrymore's first scream on screen, Pepper decided that she wanted coffee with her cake and left for the kitchen. The men settled comfortably on the couch, Loki leaning against Tony’s legs on the floor.

Steve flinched with the first lightning strike because he was so wrapped up in the story. The startled reaction made Tony laugh because the Captain had surprised him as well, even losing his cupcake in the process. Loki dove under the table to retrieve it because Virginia had threatened bodily harm to all three if they got frosting on the carpet. So the god was not in plain sight when Thor and a beautiful woman landed on the balcony.

The moment her feet touched the ground, she was bursting through the window when she saw Loki crouched on the floor. Thunder drowned her outraged cry when she threw a ball of magic, toppling both Steve and Tony over before either could react.

Shooting up, Loki took in the partially destroyed sofa before narrowing his eyes at the intruder. Angrily he hissed, "Don't you dare!"  
Summoning green energy, targeting the woman, his magic was met half way. The Captain pulled a groaning Tony aside while Thor approached the two sorcerers now locked in combat. He did not dare to come between them out of fear for his nieces or nephews. "Brother, please," he begged, but Loki clenched his teeth, summoning the full extent of his meagre mystical energies and shook his head. "She should have never!"

"What?" The woman spat out. "I should have never attacked your slavers? How could you have sunken so low that you are defending them, Trickster?"

A blow to her head from behind cut the woman off and while Thor caught his brother, who wavered because of his depleted magical resources, Pepper let go of the frying pan and captured the hands of the sorceress before she could start another spell. The human's eyes were glowing with an inner fire and her arms started radiating so much heat that she burned straight through her shirt. Pepper Potts stood up to a radiating goddess in nothing but jeans and a fire-proof bra Tony had invented for her. She was burning the woman's hands while telling her coldly, "You will not touch a single one of my men or I will incinerate you! Are we clear?"

Visibly supressing the pain Pepper caused, the richly clad sorceress looked at Loki and grinned, "Quite protective, this one. I like her."

When Loki gave her but a pleading look she pulled back, promising to Pepper, "No harm shall come to any inhabitant of your house. I swear it on my first husband's wellbeing."

Slowly cooling down, Pepper checked over Tony and Steve who seemed unharmed before approaching Loki to make sure that he was alright as well. Since Thor had been the one bringing this woman into their home, Pepper pulled her dark-haired god away from the two of them, manoeuvring him into the middle of a protective triangle between the three humans. "And why should a promise on the wellbeing of your first husband mean anything to me?"

Strolling around the room like a nosy cat, the goddess smiled. "Well, considering the lengths you go to protect him, I thought you cared."

"What?"

All three humans looked at Loki, baffled. The God of Mischief smiled and tilted his head. "Perhaps introductions are in order. Virginia, Tony, Steve, may I present to you Sigrun, the mother of my first two children."

"What the hell?" Tony started, yet was immediately interrupted by Steve. "If she’s on our side, why did she attack us?"

Pepper looked from Loki to Thor and finally back to Sigrun, answering that question. "What would you do if you met Loki's first master or mistress?"

"Tear them to pieces." Tony growled and Steve's thunderous glare indicated that he very much shared the sentiment.

Nodding nearly unnoticeably, Sigrun decided. "I like them all. You made a good choice, Loki. Now tell me why I am here." Ignoring the three humans, the goddess stepped into their midst, hugging her former husband briefly. Her hands seemed to be fine already, despite having sported blisters only moments before.

Reciprocating the hug, Loki shrugged, "I do not know. Thor brought you."

The god and goddess turned towards Thor but the Thundergod couldn't answer that question either. Helplessly, he looked at Tony.

Having reached for Pepper, making sure that she was unharmed, the engineer was at loss. Captain America tried to avoid an uncomfortable discussion by suggesting, "Maybe we should wait until Bruce returns from California."

"Doctor Banner?" instinctively Loki reached for his stomach that already showed a tiny bulge. If they wanted the doctor to be part of the discussion this concerned his children. Shaking his head he approached his owners. Quietly he pleaded, "Please, don't do this to me. If there is something wrong with the babies I need to know!"

"No!" Pepper injected and Tony immediately pulled the jittery god into his arms, calmingly rubbing his back. "Our babies are gorgeous and in good health for now. Don't worry, Bambi eyes. We won't let anything happen to them."

Loki's attempts to ask, "Then why …," were interrupted by Sigrun. "So you **are** pregnant. I thought it an elaborated scheme to get to Midgard."

In an attempt to preserve his dignity in front of his former wife, Loki stepped away from his master but could not bring himself to leave the vicinity of the two humans who bracketed him protectively. "What I told the Allfather was true."

Revealing the uncanny ability to read her former husband, Sigrun stated quietly, "Mostly true you mean. As in you are pregnant but the sire of your children was that wretched …"

" **I** am the father of these children!" Tony interrupted forcefully, possessively wrapping his arm around Loki's waist.

Accepting this claim with a tilt of her head, the goddess suggested, "And you are worried about their wellbeing."

When Tony deflated visibly, Pepper put a calming hand over his, gently caressing Loki's belly with her thumb. A gesture Sigrun very well noticed. "Yes, we are."

"Why?"

Looking at each other slightly helpless, they all reclaimed their former places on the partially destroyed sofa and Tony explained, "Here on Earth a woman carries her children for forty weeks. We have mapped out their development and Loki's … our children are growing too fast. Since we know nothing about alien pregnancy we had to ask for help."

When the goddess looked at them with mistrust, Thor insisted, "There is nothing more important to us than the wellbeing of my brother's children."

Sneering the sorceress rose, "So you, all of you are trying to make me believe that you would go any length to help a former enemy? Either you are fools, idiots, or …" In a flash she was next to Loki, picking him up from the floor where he had reclaimed his position at his master's feet.

Instantly the shouting began but a green bubble was protecting the two Asgardians. Thor even attacked it with his hammer but the weapon just bounced back, throwing him through half the room.

Pepper was already burning up but no amount of heat seemed to penetrate the magical shield. At a gesture from Tony, Steve positioned himself behind Loki, ready to pull the god to safety once the bubble was down. JARVIS had needed but one word to enfold Iron Man in his armour since it had been on standby when the goddess had first appeared.

Loki and Sigrun remained unmoving in their protective sphere, apparently engaging in a silent conversation if their facial features and gestures were anything to go by. Well, Tony had enough of people taking his stuff. The last week might not have produced a working phone, but their attempts of combining Midgardian science and Asgardian magic had taught him at least how to disrupt said magic.

"Step back," he ordered, not willing to hit Pepper with a potential power backlash, even when she healed faster than the Captain. The moment she stepped back from the sphere, Tony hit it with a solid beam of red light, having it weakened and crumbling within seconds.

Captain America reached for the God of Mischief and twisted him out of the way while Pepper, Thor and Iron Man honed in on the sorceress. The sky was already filling with lightning and the whole room was illuminated by Pepper's glowing body and Tony's charging repulsors.

Clearly weakened from the attack on her shield the goddess obviously tried to summon the energy for another spell when an exhausted request interrupted them. "Please, don't."

Stopping but not relaxing the Avengers and Pepper looked at their dark-haired god, who had freed himself from Steve's protective grip. "She wanted to know if this was a ruse. A scheme she had to follow to protect me. Please … don't hurt her. She came in good faith and didn't know what to make of all this."

Opening his mask, looking Loki up and down to determine if he was hurt, Tony clarified, "So she just wanted to talk!?"

Relaxing slightly now that the attack was not imminent, the god nodded. "She had the best of intentions."

Tearing his eyes away from Loki back to Sigrun, Pepper growled, “The way to hell is paved with good intentions!”

Stepping away from Rogers, interrupting the line of sight between his first wife and her, Loki held out his hand. "Virginia, please, she meant no harm."

Allowing her god to calm her, she allowed him to pull her into his arms, soothing her while at the same time offering himself for close inspection so that she could make sure that he was unharmed. "I'm alright, I just …. I'll go and put on some clothes …" Pepper sighed. Gods, goddesses and magic bubbles, combined with her constant worry for Loki and his babies had taken its toll. Even when Tony tried to support her to the best of his abilities, he was under the same strain. Evenings like this simply demanded too much from the both of them.

Pulling both Loki and Pepper behind himself when noticing the minor trembling of his girlfriend’s hands, Tony suggested. "Why don't we call it a night and meet again tomorrow, bright and early?"

When nobody protested, the billionaire suggested, "Point Break, why don't you show our lovely guest the guest room on your floor?"

"Of course, Tony."

When Thor guided the goddess to his floor with a polite gesture, Pepper addressed Steve. "Would it be terribly imposing of me to ask you to sleep on our floor tonight? Maybe even with your shield?"

Smiling slightly at Pepper's protective instincts, Steve nodded. "You don't trust her."

"Not farther than I can throw her."

"You have trained with Natasha," Tony piped up after stepping out of his armour.

Yet Pepper shook her head. "Half a dozen feet are still not enough for my comfort." Turning towards Loki she shrugged somewhat apologetic. "I know she was your wife and I understand that you trust her, but my instincts want her as far away from you, and you as close to us, as possible. I'm sorry, Loki."

Smiling softy, the god reached for her hand and kissed it reverently. "Don't be Virginia. I feel honoured by your concern for my well-being."

~ ᗯ ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trulywished edited this chapter and sent it to me last Sunday already. Sadly I have been out of town from Thursday until about 20 minutes ago, so you had to wait for the update. Well, truth to be told, I am not so sad about it, because I had a stellar weekend with my friends with far too much to eat and too little sleep but I really had a lot of fun.
> 
> There is another matter I want to address: I have written several chapters of this story in advance. But finally I'm reaching the end of the prepared text. It's possible (and very likely) that there will be gaps in posting. Still, when there is a Friday without an update, don't panic. This story is still my baby, but this baby needs time to be good. For now I am determined to finish it. It might just take a while.


	14. Want you here!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You complete and utter moron!” Tony mumbled before he took ...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We should all be grateful to trulywished because not only have I posted too late last week, I also forgot to send her a chapter until the middle of this week. Luckily she's the fastest betareader alive and managed to get it ready on time. So, enjoy this chapter. I think many of you have waited for it.

Preparing for bed, Loki realized that he had not whitewashed his beliefs to sooth his mistress discomfort. He really felt better knowing she cared, since nobody but his mother, and probably his brother had, for centuries. But neither had acted on these feelings. Frigga because, as Odin's wife, had been bound by his word even more than the rest of Asgard; she considered it her duty to publically support his word, no matter if she agreed with him or not. During his evening routine, Loki pondered Thor's past behaviour.

His so called brother had been too much of a coward to stand up to their fa… to Odin on Loki's behalf when he had needed him the most. Yet he had so easily thrown caution to the wind the moment his beloved human had been in peril. Loki had considered it his fate to be everybody's last resort, but Virginia and Tony had just proven the lengths they were willing to go for him. He had been their first concern. They even stood up to a goddess on his behalf, despite the knowledge that she could have killed the both of them with but a snap of her fingers.

Sigrun had shown remarkable restraint when being attacked. Loki had seen in her eyes how very much she already liked these humans because of their fierce protectiveness. A part of the god regretted so very much that they had not worked out. But after Vali's transformation and Narfi’s death, she had not been able to look at him any longer. While it was true that she had protected him from Jormungandr’s poison after Odin bound him, she had not been able to meet his eyes. Her brief times away from him when emptying the cup had been her only comfort and had become longer and longer, even if she had only allowed herself a few short hours at best. It had torn Loki apart to see her that way.

The moment he freed himself, he left the realm. She had never come after him. Her being here had taken Loki by surprise. A surprise he had masked with anger when she had attacked Tony and Steve despite knowing that she could have vanquished them with but a thought. Now, in the safety of his own bed he compared the fierce woman that was his latest mistress to the beautiful sorceress he had married all those centuries ago. He found Virginia lacking very little.

Her words repeated in his head over and over again. 'My instincts want her as far away from you, and you as close to us as possible.' She had apologized as if her desire was something to be ashamed off. Yet for Loki it was a gift, her concern something to be treasured. He hoped that he had been able to put her at ease.

After a while of restless turning in bed, Loki asked, "JARVIS, have Virginia and Tony already gone to bed?"

_"Yes, Master Loki."_

"Were I to sleep somewhere else tonight, would you promise not to tell them?"

Concern was audible in JARVIS next words when he relented. _"If that's what you wish."_

"It is." Loki decided, grabbing a pillow and blanket and relocating to the threshold of the master bedroom. "Please wake me the moment Tony or Pepper rise in the morning so I can return to my room."

It was foolish to sleep on the floor, but the god turned slave had slept under far worse conditions. Even if Virginia would never know, this was what his mistress desired and he could give it. A token proof of where his loyalties lay. Finally relaxing, he closed his eyes and was asleep within moments.

~ ᗯ ~

_"Captain Rogers, may I ask a favour?"_

~ ᗯ ~

"All I'm saying is that she's probably the only expert on Asgardian pregnancy who will ever destroy our living-room!"

"I know, Tony," Pepper answered exasperated. "But I have a bad feeling about this. I mean she is his former wife and she's obviously a powerful sorceress, much better equipped to support Loki than we are. Yet, I don't trust her."

Slipping under the sheets and pulling her into his arms, Tony teased, "Miss Potts, if I didn't know better, I would say you are jealous."

When Pepper didn’t say anything, Tony gently tilted her head to make her to look at him. She could barely meet his eyes. Softly he reminded her, “You never were the jealous type where I was concerned.”

Huffing Pepper freed her head and reclaimed the place on his chest. “Where you were concerned, I knew that they didn’t mean anything. You forgot about them the moment you were finished, hiding in your lab and letting me deal with escorting them out. You needed me Tony, you didn’t know where to pick up your dry-cleaning, you didn’t know your social security number, and without JARVIS and me you would have starved to death because even if you remembered to eat, nothing would have been available.”

Caressing her hair, Tony whispered, uneasy. “You talk as if I don’t need you any longer.”

Shrugging Pepper replied quietly, “You have the Avengers now. They take pretty good care of you, even if you don’t notice. Clint and Steve haul you out of your workshop by enticing you with their requests for new gear. Natasha picks you up and drags you to social gatherings that are not work related. Even the Hulk pulls you out of your workshop regularly because you don’t like seeing Bruce all tense and nervous. And let’s not even start with Thor. You have so much fun showing him ‘modern technology’ that you spent at least every third evening with him when he’s in the tower. They are your friends, doing their best to take care of you because you gave them a home and the feeling that they belong.”

“But none of them is you” Tony pulled the most important woman in his life closer. “None of them could ever be you. I can lose everything: the Avengers, my money, Iron Man. As long as I have you I know that we would be able to pull through.” Relieved to feel her smile again, the engineer kissed her hair. “You are the one thing I could never live without.”

Kissing his chest, Pepper returned to the topic at hand. “Loki could, easily. He has his brother and now his former wife …”

“Hm … sure. But why was he standing by your side when you and Sigrun were fighting?”  
Caressing her neck tenderly, Tony reminded her, “You are right, Loki has more people in his corner than he is aware off. Still, he came here to keep his babies safe. No matter what Sigrun and Thor have to offer, our pregnant god chose us over them and we will make damn sure that he never regrets his decision!”

Pepper exhaled tiredly, losing most of the tension that had held her upright all evening. “JARVIS, is Loki alright?”

_“He is sleeping peacefully, Miss Potts.”_

“See,” Tony soothed. “We won’t let an evil space-witch take our Trickster away. Not now that he is finally housebroken.”

Pepper chuckled. “You make him sound like a particularly stubborn cat you managed to train out of peeing on your bed.”

“Well,” the billionaire started, mischief lighting up his eyes, when their relaxing banter was interrupted by Steve.

“Tony?”

“Yea? Is something wrong?” The engineer was already half out of bed when the soldier stammered. “Yes … No … ahm … I’m not sure if we switched off the coffee maker in all the fuss.”

“The coffee maker …”

“Yes, maybe you should check.”

“The coffee maker.”

“Exactly.”

“Steve,” the engineer inquired, somewhat worried. “You do realize that this is the twenty-first century? You remember waking up in New York and all that?”

“Yes, of course!” The Captain snapped somewhat frustrated, but was obviously at loss for words to continue this strange conversation.

A soft chuckle from Pepper, who had taken the shortest route to resolve this situation by simply rising to investigate the kitchen, drew the attention of both men. Softly she assured Steve. “It’s alright, Steve. I will make sure that Tony takes care of the … coffee maker. He seems peacefully asleep for now.”

Both could hear the relieved exhale from Steve. “Thanks, Pepper. After everything that has happened tonight, JARVIS didn’t want him to sleep in the hallway.”

Looking at the sleeping god on their threshold, Tony gazed at Pepper questioningly. After a heartbeat she decided. “Well, the bed is certainly big enough. You pick him up and I take the bedding?”

~ ᗯ ~

“Master Loki,” JARVIS spoke softly. “Sir has risen.”

Opening his eyes, ready to return to his room, Loki found himself with an arm full of a strawberry blonde beauty. His master was smiling down at them. The god had no recollection of how he had come here and instantly paled. All attempts to extract himself ended in his mistress clinging to him more tightly, mumbling something in her sleep. Tony watched him for a moment, before placing a hand on Pepper’s shoulder, gently urging her to turn around.

When Loki rose form the bed, clutching his blanket and pillow tightly, Tony gestured towards the door and whispered, “Meet you in the kitchen in ten?”

Slightly relieved to be given the chance to leave, Loki fled the room. Tony took his time with a hot shower and chose jeans and a graphic shirt for the day. Hopefully no pending attacks were waiting for him in the living room.

On his way to the kitchen he met a sweaty Steve in running clothes in the hallway. “Groceries have just been delivered and JARVIS asked me to bring them up.”

“Thanks.” Taking the box from him, Tony gestured towards the kitchen. “Will you join us for breakfast? As far as I know Bruce won’t return before noon.”

“Sure,” Steve nodded. “I’ll just grab a shower and change.” And with that he jogged towards the stairs.

Carrying the groceries to the kitchen Tony started to sort through the contents of the box. Oranges, blueberries, some much needed milk, kale … who the hell ate kale for breakfast? Lifting his gaze to confront JARVIS with an according question, Tony spotted his dark-haired god in the middle of the kitchen. With a resigning huff, he asked, “I thought we have moved past this. What are you doing on the floor again, Loki?”

He had done his very best to keep his composure since leaving the master-bedroom. The god turned slave had taken a shower, dressed himself in clothes his mistress would approve off and had dashed towards the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Loki wanted to make up for the transgression of sleeping in his owners’ bed. He did not remember how he had gotten there, but that did not even matter. He should have known. Some way, somehow he should have known that it was not his place. Worst of all, he had slept arm in arm with his mistress. No master would ever take that lightly. Tony Stark had refrained from falling back to corporal punishment until now, but Loki had never dared to touch Virginia so freely. Every time he had, his mistress had ended up hurt or close. Tony had not taken that lightly.

Measuring flour with shaking fingers, Loki tried to come up with an excuse, some kind of apology to convince Tony of his good intentions. But when his master finally entered, he still was at loss of how to explain his unseemly behaviour. All he could do was sink to the floor and beg for forgiveness.

Tony sounded disappointed when he finally spoke, yet this was not something Loki could worry about right now. Gathering his thoughts he said, “I wanted to beg your forgiveness. No matter the circumstances, I should have never passed the threshold of your bedroom. I know that you don’t want me there.”

“Oh, Loki …” Tony sighed, sliding down the cupboards so that he sat right beside his god. “This is so very much not about what I want, it’s not even funny.”

He gestured between them. “You … us … Pepper and the Avengers: you chose me for the one reason that I would be able to keep you and the babies safe. That’s the only thing of importance. Even this wife of yours who had Pepper seething yesterday doesn’t matter. Not really.”

“Virginia is angry?” Loki finally raised his head, glancing towards the master bedroom with a worried expression.

“Loki!” At Tony’s exasperated tone the fallen god cringed. “You’re missing the point! You came here to be kept safe from Asgard, or any other realm you have pissed off. What Pep and I want was never a concern.”

“So you don’t want me either.” The god curled into himself, his voice broke. How could he have been so stupid? How could he have allowed himself to be fooled by the easy comradery this mortal had shown him? This was all but means to an end. Both for him and Stark.

“You complete and utter moron!” Tony mumbled before he took Loki’s face between his hands and kissed him, proving how very, very much the god was wanted. A desperate whimper made him pull back, but instantly he found himself with a lap full of dark-haired god who frantically clutched his shirt to keep the engineer as close as possible.

‘Silvertongue my ass!’ Tony thought. This was pure gold! The human groaned and arched into the touch when Loki finally allowed him to breathe, attacking his neck with hungry kisses. Both men froze when they heard Pepper chuckling. “Now **that** looks like fun.”

Looking at Loki who could barely supress the shivers than ran down his spine and whose hands refused to let go of Tony’s shirt, the billionaire smiled and held out his hand. “Join us.”

Taking the invitation, Pepper slid down on Tony’s lap, right behind Loki, bracketing the god between her lover and herself.

The god’s breath hitched when Pepper put her hands on his shoulders, mirroring Tony’s who held on to Loki’s hips. Softly the woman brushed away the god’s hair before kissing his neck. “Hm …” she purred. “Delicious.”

“Really?” Her partner asked, joy and fire dancing in his eyes when he looked at her.

“Really!” Pepper confirmed, waving her fingers through Loki’s strands so that his entire neck was free. Playfully she prompted. “Why don’t you try yourself?”

“Should I?” The engineer, searching for any sigh of reluctance in the god’s eyes. When he found none and Loki tilted his head even further, Tony pulled out all stops, mirroring Pepper’s caresses passionately. By everything that was sacred. This was even better than his wildest fantasies. In no time the humans had Loki panting between them. Tony could feel the proof of the god’s delight against his stomach.

“Should I … ahm … come back later?” A very uncomfortable Steve stood at the entrance of the kitchen, trying to look anywhere but the trio on the floor.

“Don’t know.” Tony shrugged, gently caressing Loki’s neck who seemed frozen on his lap. “Did we get our point across of how very much we want you, Loki?”

Shooting a quick glance from Tony to Virginia and back again, the god nodded, aiming for composure. “Yes, you did.”

For another heartbeat, Pepper remained seated behind him, turning his head so that she could place a tender kiss on his lips. Without another word, she strolled out of the kitchen to catch a shower before breakfast. She patted Captain America’s shoulder in passing, assuring him. “It’s okay to look again, Steve. We stopped cuddling.”

“Do you … do you need help?” The soldier who had bested Nazis, Hydra, and aliens desperately tried to come up with a subject that did not include a pregnant god. Especially since Tony was having far too much fun with the situation at hand. With Loki’s help, he rose and pulled the god against his body once again. “I don’t know. Do I need help? What do you think, Loki?”

Grinning mischievously, because this was so much better than anything he had dared to imagine, Loki merely brushed off the question with a gesture. “I don’t think so, Tony. I am completely satisfied. Though if Captain Rogers offers, we should consider it.”

Groaning Steve wiped his face. “You will rub this in at every possible opportunity, won't you?”

Picking up the groceries, the engineer chuckled. “Don’t get your panties in a twist, Steve. I promise to keep my private life strictly in the privacy of my own home.”

“I hate you.” Steve mumbled, stepping around the two dark-haired men to fill the coffee maker. He was definitely under-caffeinated to have to deal with Tony’s innuendos. No matter if coffee worked for him or not.

~ ᗯ ~

Loki tried very hard not to tremble out of his own skin once he returned to breakfast preparations. Every part of his skin his humans had touched felt like it was on fire in the best possible way. The icy dread of not being wanted was replaced with ambers glowing in his gut and all because of a few kisses.

Alright, it had been more than mere kisses. Tony Stark was very passionate and for a few minutes his passion had ignited a god of Jotun heritage. Loki had given as good as he had gotten and everything had been blessedly simple until Virginia had arrived. He had lost his head, and if he were honest with himself – something he was not sure he should – even a piece of his heart at the first touch of her lips.

The warm pressure of her body on his back. Fingers that had guidedhim by his hair but never hurt him. He wouldn’t have put up any resistance anyway. Loki had been used, even abused repeatedly after having his freedom taken away from him. His former mistress and master had taken their pleasure from him. Had even allowed their guests to do so at various points. Nobody had ever cared for him. But Tony and Pepper were so very different.

Sure, they had enjoyed claiming him together, but had done so mostly for Loki’s pleasure. At least that was the way it had felt to him. Oh, he had noticed the proof of his master’s desire but Tony’s hands had been occupied caressing Loki’s body instead of his own.

When the Captain had entered, they had not even acted chagrined. Instead they had made sure that they had gotten their point across: that he, Loki, the God of Mischief, was very much wanted in their midst.

Big yet gentle hands wrapped around his, stilling his trembling fingers that tried to place a baking tray in a preheated oven. Looking up the god turned slave realized that he was alone with Captain America because Tony was shouting at someone at the phone in the living room. Steve’s words were as soft as his hands when he assured Loki, “You know that you don’t have to do this. No matter what Asgard or Pepper and Tony made you think. They have no right to take something that is not offered freely. Your place here in this tower, the protection of your children, that’s unconditional.”

At the absurdity of this situation, that someone who had been willing to fight him to death three years ago now honestly cared for his wellbeing made Loki laugh. He might even have become slightly hysterical because he realized after a few moments that tears ran down his cheeks. Shaking his head, he brushed away the oddity of the situation, needing a few minutes before he could assure the Captain, “Believe me, Master Rogers, I am more than willing.”

Looking at his hands which were steady now, back under control, he started placing the necessary breakfast items on a tray to be able to serve them in the living-room because he knew that Virginia preferred that. When he entered the sun-flooded room, his master was still yelling and for a heartbeat Loki tensed. Instincts beaten into someone for several years were hard to supress, but then he told himself not to be foolish. Tony would never hurt him, no matter how agitated he was. He would find another outlet. Making a conscious effort to relax, Loki passed him and started arranging the food on the low table in the centre of the room.

When Virginia entered the god smiled at her but found her in deep conversation on the phone as well. She gave him a brief and strained smile when he offered her coffee. Despite her obvious aggravation she chose a position between him and Tony when the engineer ended the call and threw his phone on the wall with a furious shout.

“I told them to use another alloy for the motherboard,” he roared. “The moment they presented the prototype I told them that it would not withstand the thermal pressure. But did they listen? No! I’m just the owner of the company, Antony fucking Stark, a genius! And what do they do, instead heeding my advice? Maximize the profit!”

Steve was standing at the entrance of the living room to find out what all the commotion was about. Loki had risen and subtly tried to pull Virginia back when Tony approached her with fire in his eyes and growled, “How many? How many of these disasters waiting to happen did we sell?”

Unsure of how to react when his master seemed so close to losing the last of his composure around his companion, the slave reached for his mistress. Better to trade places with Virginia, he had been born a god. He was able to suffer more than she. His plan was undermined when the woman stepped out of his reach, approaching Tony with a computer she had pulled out from under the coffee table. Conjuring some data, she offered it to Tony, not the slightest bit concerned by his forceful attitude.

The man placed it on the side table, throwing up schematics, press releases and newspaper articles into the air.  
The power couple stood side by side, taking in the information presented. Tony was still seething but Pepper was a calming presence by his side.

“Whoever chose to ignore my advice, I want him gone. We don’t need people who chose profit over product at Stark Industries.”

“Agreed.”

“And I mean annihilated, Pepper. With the most sophisticated technical equipment available to him being the cash register at McDonalds.”

The CEO of Stark Industries was aware that this disaster, or at least the decision that had led to it, hit far too close to home for her partner’s liking. Too much like Obadiah Stane, who too had chosen profit over everything else, even Tony’s life. She mentally went over her options and promised coldly, “I will make that happen. But first we have to do damage control.”

Relieved that his master did not seem on the edge of a violent outburst any longer, Loki went to fetch the muffins. Virginia and Tony still were in deep conversation when he returned and told them that breakfast was ready. Pulling the data back to their pads they approached the table. Tony choosing a single futon and Pepper kneeled by his side, serving him coffee while he unwrapped two muffins. They traded and continued their discussion, completely unaware that Loki was staring at them, wide eyed and confused.

When Steve nudged him out of his stupor, Loki stammered, "But I thought … Virginia, she … I thought them equals …"

"They are, what makes you think otherwise?" The soldier had a pretty good idea about the reason behind Loki's confusion, but on Earth things were different and the god had to realize that.

Distressed Loki whispered, "She is kneeling!”  
No free woman in Asgard, or any other realm to Loki's knowledge, would ever kneel without being forced to. The only exception was probably the Lady Sif, but when she knelt before her liege, she did so as a warrior and not as a woman.

"Indeed, she is."

An indignant sound from Loki made both Pepper and Tony look at him questioningly. Unable to eloquently phrase his query, he finally spat out, "I don't understand why you are kneeling."

Looking at herself, Tony, Steve, and back to the confused god, Pepper shrugged, "Tony and I are still comparing data. It's easier to read his pad when I'm right next to him."

"He could have chosen a seat on the couch! He could have made room for you beside him."

"Why is this important?" Tony wanted to know, clearly not getting what this was about.

Distressed the god choked out, "It is demeaning for Virginia!" He should not criticise his master. He was well aware of that, but to see his mistress on the floor was just wrong.

Sharing a look with Tony, hiding a small smile, Pepper stated calmly, "No, it isn't," before returning to their previous discussion.

Thunderstruck the fallen god watched them. They were talking, agreeing, disagreeing just like always. At no point during their conversation did they give any indication that their respective positions mattered the slightest. Everything in Loki told him that this was degrading, humiliating even. Yet on Midgard it didn't seem to be the case. Virginia still bent Tony to her will, despite kneeling on the floor.

~ ᗯ ~

After breakfast the two rose and looked pleadingly at Steve. With a smirk the man teased them, "Oh, I see how it is. Preparing breakfast, caring for clean-up. Sometimes I think you just want me here for my house-holding skills."

Putting a hand on his heart, Tony looked at Steve with his best puppy eyes. "Is that what you really think? I am wounded. Wounded, Steve that you think so low of me. Of course I also want you for your unparalleled sandwich making abilities."

Loki was puzzled by this conversation, like he had been all morning. Midgardians were so strange. His confusion peaked once again when all three humans laughed and Tony kissed Steve on the cheek before the soldier could pull back. "Don't wait for me, honey. The missus and I have some people to fire."

Good natured and unperturbed by the unusual display of affection, Steve wiped his cheek and shoved Tony towards the master bedroom.

Virginia told Loki, while they were following, "You are coming with us. I need someone who can put Tony on a leash before he blows up the R&D labs."

Obediently the fallen god trailed behind the humans. The casual way that Tony had kissed Steve still lingered at the forefront of his mind. Maybe he had really read too much into the affections his master had shown him. If Tony was so free with his touches, they surely didn't mean anything. Loki hadn't noticed Tony and Virginia vanishing into their wardrobe. He only came back to himself when his mistress entered the room again, smartly dressed but without shoes. At a loss of what to do, he approached her and tried to reach for the brush she briskly pulled through her still damp strands.

Obviously pleased Pepper smiled at Loki when handing it over and started to apply her make-up. On an afterthought she called out, "Tony, could you bring the white t-strap sandals please?"

"These?" Having a pair of shoes that looked more like instruments of torture than foot wear dangling from his fingers, Tony looked at her.

"Exactly," Pepper turned slightly in her seat after applying mascara, offering her foot. "We need a new head for Research and Development."

Dutifully Tony crouched beside her and helped her with the straps. "I have someone in mind, but I want to see how he deals with me first."

 "Good, Loki will go with you while I deal with the press. You need at least one person that can keep up with you. Otherwise the labs will be empty tomorrow. Is that alright with you, Loki?"

This didn't make sense. Now his master was kneeling as well and this was not even the first time he had done so. In Midgard, things were different, he knew that. This planet was ridden by war, famish, sickness, all kinds of drawbacks but humans were so very resilient. People were demeaning themselves for their loved ones. As if kneeling didn't mean more than crouching down to be at eyelevel with someone smaller. It didn't. Make. Sense!

"Loki?" Virginia's soft timbre pulled him back to the present. "You are hurting me."

As if he had been slapped, Loki let go of her hair and retreated into the corner of the room, quivering not only out of fear but also because of his inner turmoil.

Tony and Pepper shared a glance before the billionaire turned towards his god. Gently he approached him and brushed Loki's dark strands out of his face so that the god would look at him. "This … this whole kneeling thing, it really is bothering you."

Leaning into the caress instinctively, inching closer to his master, Loki admitted brokenly, "I just don't understand. You kneel as if it means nothing. As if it is not a way to humiliate and demean your enemies."

"Pepper and I are not enemies."

"And you are not our enemy either, Loki. Have not been ever since you came here and asked for Tony's help."

"I'm your slave."

Tilting the god's head so that Loki was forced to look at him once again, Tony stated firmly. "That makes you our responsibility, by decree of your precious Allfather. It does not make you our enemy."

"And we don't do slavery on Earth, Loki. Otherwise, what Tony and I want to do with you would be very, very wrong."

"You can do anything."

Gently caressing the god's jaw, Tony leaned in and placed the softest of kisses on Loki's lips. "I can, but it would be statutory rape and I like to believe we are better than this."

A helpless whimper escaped the god and the next moment he clutched his master's lapels and pulled him closer again for another breath-taking kiss. Tony had not touched the Captain like this. He had not looked at him like this. This was Loki's and Loki's alone and he would not share!

"Not even with me?" Virginia's question made him realize that he had spoken his mind. But the way she smiled made it impossible for the god to regret that his silver tongue had gotten away from him. For a heartbeat he looked at his master as if waiting for permission, before he turned towards her. "I can't share what already belongs to you."

Warmly Pepper mirrored Tony's gesture: leaning in to kiss him tenderly. But instead of reaching for her, Loki wrapped his arms around his own body as if to resist temptation of pulling her in.  
He did not dare to touch, Tony noticed and when the two broke apart the engineer saw a reverence in the god's eyes that bordered on worship. No, Loki could never be their enemy. Not any longer. Ever since these guards had dropped him off at the tower, the God of Mischief was theirs and Tony was always taking very good care of things that belonged to him. Especially when these things were people.

Two sets of hands were caressing him when Loki rested his head against his mistress' shoulder. This was all too much and yet not enough at the same time. Still, he had to think of his humans. "You wanted to leave."

"Yes, we do." Pepper nodded, but Tony finished her sentence in an unexpected way, "But this, you, are more important. No more kneeling, Loki. Because the last thing Pepper and I want is to humiliate you. If Heimdall has a problem with this, he can take it up with me."

Smiling slightly mischievously, Loki asked. "No more kneeling for me but you can do it to your heart's content?"

Wiggling his eyebrows, Tony grinned. "I'll have you know that I can do amazing things when on my knees."

Blushing fiercely, Loki's embarrassment only increased when Pepper purred, "That is very true," before leaning in to steal a heated kiss from her partner. She had Tony panting when she turned towards her mirror again, applying lipstick on kiss-swollen lips before nodding at the two men to follow her to Stark Industries.

~ ᗯ ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sadly, I also have bad news: I'm afraid I won't be able to post next week. Not because this story is on hiatus, far from it! But I managed to finish about ten chapters before I started posting. I tried to keep up with my posting schedule but I won't be able to next week. I have written more, at least two more chapters, and I don't plan on stopping any time soon. But writing them, typing them into the computer, editing them myself and then sending them off to trulywished takes time. I want to give this story the attention it deserves so I can't post as regularly as I did for the last 14 weeks. I hope you understand and that you will be patient with me.
> 
> Have a great summer.  
> Anchanee


	15. Research and Development

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is how Tony Stark solves problems in his company (with Loki's help of course).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You have all been very, very patient with me. Since I am on holiday now, and have had time to write I can tell you that I have four more chapters on my computer and at least two more in my booklet (for now). So don't worry. This story is far from abandoned. In fact I have just written the birth of the babies. Any thoughts on their names?

“You won’t fire me!”

“No, I won’t. I’m Tony Stark, I delegate such tasks. Take your stuff and register with Miss Potts. **She** will fire you, you sorry excuse of a branch-leader!”

The jovial and friendly tone Tony usually used had turned serious and cold when he started talking to the current head of Research and Development. Loki fought the impulse to pull back before he stepped closer when the billionaire looked at him expectantly. “Darling, please accompany Mr. Thomas to his office and make sure that he only takes what is his.”

The god never wanted to be on the receiving end of the disgusted gaze Tony threw his soon to be ex-employee. Still, he enjoyed the trust his master placed in him and kept a close eye on the blustering human who started to collect picture frames and other gimmicks from his desk. When he reached for the computer, Loki told him calmly, “If you touch a single piece of electronic equipment in this office, I will break your wrist.”

Whipping around, the man glared at him, “You wouldn’t!”

Stepping closer, crowding this puny human against the desk, Loki smiled, all teeth. “I am Loki of Asgard. I have commanded armies and fought wars. What should keep me from breaking every single bone in your hand if you touch anything that belongs to **my** human?”

“I … you … but these are private files!”

“Stored on company equipment?” Having already received his crash-course in Stark Industry Servers 101, the god merely raised his eyebrows, not moving an inch. Politely he inquired, “JARVIS, what is Stark Industry’s official policy on the storing of private data on company computers?”

The human noticeably flinched, very much like Loki had at the beginning, when JARVIS answered from the internal speakers. _“The contracts state that all data stored on Stark Industry’s equipment legally belongs to the company. But I am sure Sir can be convinced to hand over your ‘private’ files after close inspection, Mr. Thomas.”_

Who knew that JARVIS could be so vindictive when he thought his master wronged? Revelling in the discomfort of this tiny man, the god finally stepped back and allowed him to gather his belongings. A security guard was already waiting outside and after a respectful bow towards Loki, took the engineer off his hands.

When Loki re-joined his master in the lab, Tony was in the process of dismantling one of the phones, demanding to know how the engineers planned to fix the problem. The ideas of a young man were currently being picked apart by his colleagues with arguments like, “We would have to change the whole production line for that!” and “That would increase our costs by at least fifty percent!”

Tony stood in the middle of this shouting match, listening attentively. Recognising the look, Loki remembered why his mistress had sent him along. His voice was quiet and didn’t reach beyond their immediate circle. “You can’t fire everybody. Virginia would be very displeased.”

Rubbing his face, sighing angrily, Tony hissed. “I should fire at least one of them. To make an example!” Picking up his pad, he flipped through the files he had just reviewed, paying special attention to one JARVIS highlighted. The billionaire snapped his fingers to gain everybody’s attention and pointed at the young man who now stood with his back in a corner. “You, you are Jim Rainer, right?”

When the young man nodded timidly, Tony stated dispassionately, “You are fired!”

Approving murmurs accompanied the dejected looking guy when he reached for his bag and pulled a picture of a smiling woman with two new-borns from the memo-board above his workstation and headed towards the door, not even trying to touch the machines that surrounded him. When he had nearly reached the door, Tony called him back. “Mr. Rainer?”

“Yes, Sir?” Even after having been fired, this young man was still polite and respectful. Tony wasn’t sure if he should admire or pity the guy. “About a year ago, you wrote an outlook for this model, predicting in detail all the problems we are experiencing right now. What did you want to prove by keeping it a secret?”

Dejectedly the young man gestured towards his branch leader’s office. “I didn’t. I sent it to Mr. Thomas. The same evening, he kept me in after hours. He threatened to fire me if I published the report.” Looking at the picture in his hand, the guy drooped his head. “I had just proposed to Elisabeth that week. Two days later, we found out she was pregnant. I didn’t want to lose my job, Mr. Stark.”

Since JARVIS had supplied him with according log-files it was easy for Tony to verify this story, despite the files having been erased months ago. “The same day you found out you would be a father, you managed to write a subroutine to have your hazard-report stored on my private server by JARVIS. Why?”

“I hoped that you would find it. I was too much of a coward to send it directly. So I tried to use a backdoor.” Sighing sadly, he gestured towards the dismantled phone. “I guess it doesn’t matter now either way. I also compiled a list of suitable substitute core materials for the phones motherboard. Not all of them would require a modified production lane, but every alternative would make the model substantially more expensive. I’m sorry that I didn’t speak up before, Sir. I just … I’m sorry.”

Going over the list, gathering a first impression while the security guard at the door gathered Jim Rainer’s key-card and ID, Tony looked at the other engineers who seemed too scared to even breathe. Nobody wanted to draw attention to himself since the boss of their boss seemed ready to cut his staff short without second thought.

Nodding to himself, Tony looked at them and smiled humourlessly. “Thank you, gentleman … and lady. This will be all. I will discuss this problem with the head of this department and we will see each other on Monday.”

“But … but we don’t have a head of Research and Development. You just fired him, Sir.” One of the older engineers reminded him. “Maybe you want to promote …”

Cutting the man off, the owner of Stark Industries nodded to himself. “Yes. You are right. I should remedy that instantly. Loki, would you please collect the phone? We will need several of them to find a solution.”

Efficiently the god collected the parts in the box the phone had come with. When they left the lab he pondered, “You already know who you want as the new branch-leader.”

“Of course. Now let’s hurry or he will have left the building before I can hire him.”

~ ᗯ ~

Jim Rainer pondered what to tell Elisabeth. His wife had been very tolerant with him pulling all-nighters several times a week for the last few months, leaving her alone with their two beautiful baby girls, mere months after their birth. He had earned good money. Stark Industries had supported him through his last year of college, had him interning for several months before offering him a contract. They would be able to make it for a few months before things got tight. He could only hope that he would be able to get another job soon. He didn't like taking risks with the lives of his family.

"Mister Rainer?"

He tried not to flinch when facing his employer, well now ex-employer, in the lobby. Jim was aware that there was an express-lift solely reserved for Mr. Stark and his friends. Still, he hadn't expected the billionaire to catch up with him. His tendency of freaking out when people surprised him didn't help his situation when Tony Stark approached him. After a few deep breathes he turned around. "Sir?"

"We need a few more phones. Do you know where they are stored?"

When Jim nodded the man prompted. "Show me."

Wordlessly they travelled down to the small warehouse that was located on the first sub-level of the tower. Out of the blue, Stark explained, "I plan on trying out a few alternate motherboards as you suggested. I wanted to talk them through with the new branch-leader of Research and Development."

"You already chose one? It's Sanders, isn't it? He has been with the company the longest."

"Yet he didn't have the guts to at least try and warn me about this imminent disaster."

"Yea, well … my trying didn't do any good either."

Smiling Tony tried to wrestle a box full of phones from one of the cupboards until Loki huffed and pushed the phone-parts at him, before reaching for the carton and pulling it out of the shelf easily. When Tony tried to reach for it, the god merely raised his eyebrows. "Yes, yes, I get it; me, puny human; you, superior god."

The engineer counted it as a win when his god only tensed for a heartbeat before grinning easily. They really were getting somewhere.

Ushering everybody into the lift, Tony directed, "Workshop, JARVIS."

When Jim Rainer started to shift nervously, the engineer looked at him expectantly. "Sir, I … not that I don't want to see your workspace, because I do! But you probably don't want me there since I don't work for you any longer. The confidentiality agreement ends with the employment."

Entering his workshop, spreading the spare parts on his workbench, Tony nodded. "Yea, we should do something about that.  
"JARVIS, get me a scan of these parts.  
"Loki, could you dismantle another one to make sure we don't just deal with a faulty batch?" When both his AI and his god were at work and blue light illuminated the shop, Tony turned towards the door where the young man was still hovering. Rolling his eyes, he snapped, "And you, get your ass in here for heaven's sake. I need a new head for R&D. So, are you interested in the job or not?"

"What?"

Loki grinned at the phone he was pulling apart. Nice to see someone else steamrolled by Tone for a change.

"Jim Rainer, I am offering you a position as head of Research and Development of the communications branch of Stark Industries. Do you accept?"

"I … yes?"

"Is that a question or a statement?"

"I …," finally able to shake himself out of his stupor, the young man started beaming and nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, that's definitely a statement! Thank you, Sir!"

"Then why are you standing by the door instead of helping? We have work to do as you very well know."

When reality started to catch up with him, Jim pulled an old phone from his pocket. "I should call my wife and tell her that I will be late again. I've been in the office a lot and … well … our twins are only six months old. She was looking forward to a few free hours this weekend."

The reaction was subtle, but not subtle enough for Tony to miss it, when paying attention to his god. Calmly he decided, "JARVIS, have Pepper invite Mrs. Rainer to join us."

"Sir, I won't have time for Charly and Bridge when working." The young man injected hesitantly. Clearly he wanted his women around, his protests were very laid back.

Smiling Tony pointedly looked at one Norse god when he suggested. "No, you won't, but I think Loki can help with that. Am I right?"

A thousand emotions ran over the god's face at that request: worry, joy and longing the most prominent. Blushing a little he lowered his eyes and nodded. After a moment he looked at the uncertain father and promised. "I have six children with two more on the way. I will allow no harm to befall your offspring if you entrust them to my care."

Taking in the earnest looking god, Jim wondered for a moment how this was his life before giving his blessing.

In an atypical flash of empathy, Tony assured his new-old-employee, "Either you or your wife will be with them at all times. We can prepare a part of the workshop so that it will be safe. It's a good idea anyway because sooner or later our babies will be around as well."

So the two engineers started talking business and Loki began to inspect every last corner of the lab to find the one suitable to host babies.

~ ᗯ ~

"I'm not sure what I'm doing here. My husband is only a minor employee in the R&D department."

Happy was currently juggling a diaper bag and a sports bag with food, baby-toys and blankets while guiding the young Elisabeth Rainer out of the elevator and into Tony's workshop. After showing her his ID, he had encouraged her to take the babies and everything they needed for a trip to the tower. Her first question had come out as barely a whisper, "Is Jim alive?" Quickly followed by, "Has there been an accident?" And, "Is he hurt?"

Happy was aware that she wouldn't calm any time soon. So he had prompted her to call her husband to put her mind at ease. Things had gone rather smoothly after that. At least until she entered the workshop with that question on her lips.

Looking up from his latest evaluation, Tony told her, "Actually I fired your husband two hours ago."

Paling, Elisabeth Rainer clutched her children helplessly, looking at Jim.

Ignoring her reaction the billionaire continued, changing some variables and running the evaluation again, "But since I was lacking a branch leader with a conscience I hired him again. So you can relax, regain some colour and talk to Loki over there, because he will be your babysitter for the day."

"What?" Her confused whimper made Jim take Bridget out of his wife’s hands and hug her tightly. With Loki’s help, he explained in more detail what had happened and helped her to set up the babies in the generous playing pen the god had created on short notice. There was a frame of low cupboards separating an area of about a hundred square feet from the rest of the lab. About two thirds were already covered in gym mats Loki had painstakingly disinfected and Steve Rogers just left the elevator with half a dozen more. Following him were Clint and Natasha who were carrying huge bean bags and a few colourful blankets.

Elisabeth just stood at the side, gaping at people she usually only saw on TV. Steve helped Loki with cleaning the mats while Natasha chose a place on one of the cupboards, sorting through the blankets. "I have Iron Man, Hulk and Captain America shields. I even found one with Thor's hammer but none with Hawkeye or Black Widow. We have a whole cutlery series though." Judging the comfortable and now colourful playing area, Natasha asked, "You are aware that Thor will have a field-day when seeing this?"

Pretending ignorance about the meaning of her question, Loki only shrugged. "He is an Avenger after all. Lady Elisabeth, everything is prepared for you, Charlotte, and Bridget."

"I … am …," sitting down on one of the cupboards sliding into the huge play-pen, she gingerly Charlie set down. Immediately her daughter gurgled happily and started to chew on the corner of the Iron Man blanket she had been put upon.

Watching her sister with rapt attention, Bridget started to squirm in her father's arms until he handed her over so that she could be placed on the Hulk blanket next to her sister. The young Mrs. Rainer accepted Loki's wordless invitation and sank into the bean bag next to her babies, keeping a close eye on them as inconspicuously as possible, as well as on the superheroes surrounding them.

When Bruce Banner entered the lab an hour later, offering coffee and tea to everybody including her, she took the cup with shaking hands, repeating quietly, "I don't understand."

~ ᗯ ~

A detailed explanation, four changed diapers, and two peacefully sleeping babies later, Elisabeth was finally ready to join Natasha to the tower's very own wellness centre, complete with pool, sauna, and spa-area. She had needed a few hours to gain enough trust into Loki's abilities to care for her children. But after watching the tender look on his face and the sure gestures with which he changed their diapers after getting a handle on the 'Midgardian ones' she felt comforted. The girls were sleeping away and Jim was close by.

Jim Rainer was currently engaged in a lively discussion with his employer. "It won't work! The thermal pressure will become too great and it will blow to pieces!"

"Have a little faith!" Tony grinned, having JARVIS increase the temperature gradually. "This might actually work but we won't find out if we don't go all the way."

"Nowhere on this planet will the motherboard of a phone have to withstand temperature-fluctuations of a few hundred degrees!" The young engineer protested, but was cut short when his prognosis actually came to pass. Phone-parts scattered through the lab and the creator of Iron Man was finally forced to admit, "Alright, it didn't work. What's next on our list?"

When he didn't receive an answer, he looked at his employee who stared open mouthed at the corner where his children were sleeping. Following his line of sight, Tony found Loki standing over the babies, a protective shield flaring around them. The god was seething when he gathered the energy back into his body. He was upon Tony in a heartbeat, hitting him so strongly that the engineer stumbled into his workbench, his lip splitting and his ears ringing.

Loki hissed, "How dare you? How dare you take a gamble like that with children nearby? Something could have happened. You could have hurt them!" The last question was thrown at the engineer with so much anguish that it nearly took Tony's breath away.

The god's vicious outburst had summoned Bruce from his lab. The doctor looked at the pair with concern while the young engineer, who had just protested the experiment, tried to calm the livid god. "Nothing would have happened to my girls. I would not have allowed that. They are far enough away to be safe. You really shouldn't shout at Mr. Stark like that, Mr. Loki."

Tony recognized the very moment his god’s senses returned to him, governing the heart-wrenching fear that had made him lash out. Stepping closer immediately, hands extended in a placating gesture, he ordered, “Bruce, Jim, why don’t you watch over the babies?” He caught Loki just in time to keep him from breaking down, sinking slowly to the floor with him.

He had summoned his magic and attacked his master. Then he had shouted at him. Loki’s hands clawed at his collar because the device seemed to suffocate him. There were safety measures forged into every slave-collar. He could not do harmful magic while wearing it. Even attacking his master with ill intentions should have been impossible. Yet he had not had any ill intentions, had not planned on hurting the human. The attack had been instinctual, born from helpless fear rather than scorn.

Everything would fall to pieces in the wake of such a heinous act.

Why couldn’t he breathe?

“Loki? Loki, darling, look at me. You have to calm down, alright? Everything will be alright if you just calm down.” Tony was nearly at the end of his tether. Loki was shaking like a leaf, firm in the clutches of a horrible panic attack. Pepper was not here to help and the young engineer was hovering over his sleeping children, clearly unable to comprehend what was going on. Bruce had his hands full with calming him down and not waking the babies in the process. That’s why the billionaire usually didn’t bring outsiders into his private lab. Useless, the lot of them!

Watching the trembling god who cowered before him, Tony decided to take a gamble. This could either make everything worse by pushing Loki deeper into his slavish mind-set or pull him out of it. The engineer really hoped that this time the dice would fall in his favour. Brushing away the blood from his lip he tilted Loki’s head and kissed him.

For a moment the god became still, but before Tony could pull back, Loki reached for his shirt and made a sobbing sound, burrowing into the engineer’s frame. “I’m sorry, master … Tony. I’m so sorry. Please, forgive me.”

‘Forgive me,’ that was new. Until now it had always been, ‘Don’t cast me out,’ and, ‘punish me.’  
Mercy for a crime committed had never been an option. Thanking the gods for small favours, Tony hugged him tighter and promised, “Of course I forgive you. I deserved it after all. Jim warned me that the phone would blow up. I should have never conducted such an experiment with the babies around. You had every right to get angry with me. That’s your job as mother of our children, isn’t it?”

When Loki nodded reluctantly, Tony counted this as another victory. Still he didn’t let go of the pregnant god, until Loki pulled away himself. In an attempt to regain his composure, especially since an ‘outsider’ was watching, the god straightened his clothes and approached the workbench. He looked at the shattered pieces for several minutes before nudging one of them. “Where does the heat come from?”

Pointing at the ceiling, Tony explained, grateful for the change of subject. He still felt very uncomfortable during displays of emotion. “There are heat-modules in the ceiling,” but the god only shook his head. “No, I mean outside of the lab. The extensive heat that makes the phone fail, where does it come from?”

Blinking wordlessly for several moments, Tony started to grin broadly and planted a fat kiss on Loki’s lips. “You are a genius! You know that? Jim, move your butt! We’ll take a look at the accumulators and the casing next.”

Trading places with the father of the babies, the god kneeled on the floor beside the sleeping beauties, gently caressing their little heads. He was unable to meet Dr. Banner’s eyes as he hovered in the play-pen.

When it became clear that Loki wouldn’t talk about what had just happened, Bruce started, “You were right, you know? Tony is far too reckless with his own life, but endangering the lives of children …”

“I should not have hit him.” The fallen god interrupted quietly, still not looking up. “A slave must never raise a hand against his master. Such an offence is punishable by death.”

“Well,” Bruce rose to return to his lab. “Luckily we don’t do slavery. I’m pleased to see that at least a part of you has finally caught up on that.”

~ ᗯ ~

When the Rainers left the next morning, Elisabeth had wrestled the promise from Loki to visit. When he had his children at the latest! Charlotte and Bridget had been rather taken with the god and all Rainer-women were well rested thanks to the temporary offering of one amethyst crystal for the night. Even Natasha had bid the woman good bye, sharing how much she had enjoyed the few hours in the spa they had had together. It was nice to be with someone ‘normal’ for a change, she had remarked. The others had taken offence of course, but none of them had been able to contradict her.

~ ᗯ ~

After a brief nap on the couch Tony had returned to the lab, leaving Loki to his own devices. Over all that had happened today, everybody seemed to have forgotten that his first wife was still around. Not so Loki and, as it turned out, Bruce. When the trickster left the elevator on Thor’s floor, he found the doctor at his brother’s door. They looked at each other for several moments. Bruce was the one who addressed the elephant in the corridor. “For the last few weeks I have read everything I could get my hands on about pregnancy and alien biology. But nothing will ever prepare me for you. We need more information and no matter how little Tony and Pepper like it, Sigrun is our best bet!”

“You have educated yourself on a subject you will most likely come across only once in your entire career? Why?” The god asked surprised.

Shrugging, Bruce looked at his hands before meeting Loki’s eyes. “Because I’m your doctor now. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I did not use every resource available to prepare myself.” After a heartbeat, he knocked on the door and immediately came face to face with a beautiful women in leather pants and a linen tunic.

Loki was surprised to see Sigrun in clothes similar to his own. The god could spot at least three different weapons hidden in her new attire and that did not even include the golden barrette he had given her for their tenth anniversary. His former wife seemed to have enjoyed the distractions New York had to offer. Still, she was careful. Ignoring Banner for a moment, Loki pulled Sigrun into a tender embrace and kissed her forehead. “Thank you for coming.”

Sighing quietly, she admitted, “I did not want to. Not until your brother told me you were pregnant again.”

Pulling away, Loki grumbled, “He is not my brother!”

Smiling at the father of her firstborns Sigrun caressed his cheek. “Thor will always be our brother, Loki. But that is not what you came to talk about today. Your doctor,” she nodded towards Banner, “is worried about your babies. Tell me why.”

Cleaning his glasses, Bruce chuckled. The attention from two gods made him slightly nervous. “It’s complicated,” he admitted.

Inviting them into her former brother-in-law's living room, Sigrun encouraged him, “I have nothing but time.”

~ ᗯ ~

One hour, a pot of tea and one highly confused Thundergod later, Sigrun summarized Bruce’s concerns, “So, basically you are telling me that the babies are perfectly healthy, but are developing at a much faster rate than is normal for Midgardian woman.”

“Essentially, yes.”

“But you did notice that Loki is neither from Midgard nor a woman?”

Rolling his eyes, Bruce sighed, “Of course I have noticed that. But pregnant women are my only frame of reference! Who should I compare him to in your opinion?” Alright, maybe that was a little snappy. Ever since Loki had come to Earth, Bruce had consulted every medical record, be it journal, book or online, even some ancient Norwegian legends to educate himself on alien pregnancy. That, combined with the quite extensive S.H.I.E.L.D. files on alien biology made him undoubtedly the first expert on alien pregnancy on the planet. Still, Bruce was painfully aware that he knew virtually nothing about what to expect from Loki and his babies.

“You compare him to nobody, of course.” Sigrun broke his train of thought. “Loki is unique. As is every single one of his offspring.”

Paling, he really had hoped to get more out of the Asgardian mother, Bruce stammered, “Then how do I prepare for complications?”

Looking at the surely well-meaning but clueless human, Sigrun reached for her former husband. “You don’t. Loki is the one who is pregnant. He is a powerful sorcerer and a god. He will take care of everything. Just like he had with his other children.”

Covering Sigrun’s hand that now lay on his belly, Loki could feel her warm and loving magic flow through him. It still had a bitter taste to it. Her resentment for the circumstances that had torn them apart was still prominent, though it had lessened over the centuries. Things would never be back to how they had been. Yet if there was one sorceress in all of Asgard to trust with his children, it was her. She would rather die than harm someone else’s offspring.

The flow of magic slowed, then ceased when she pulled her hand away and smiled at him. “They are perfectly healthy, both the boy and the girl. Your blood is prominent, but you will need an intricate enchantment if you want to hide the nature of their sire from the Asgardian healers.”

“If I have it my way, they will never set foot on Asgard until they have reached maturity!” The god growled.

“Things don’t always go the way you plan, Loki. Don’t sacrifice more of your children to your pride.” Rising from the couch, Sigrun captured a staff that seemed to jump readily into her hands from a corner. A darkness clouded her features, hiding a pain Loki knew was still tearing her apart. Mostly because that pain also resonated in his heart. The Midgardian clothes melted away and when the goddess had reached the balcony she looked just like she had upon her arrival.

Thor had followed, after a helpless gaze towards Loki. But it was the dark-haired god whose words held her back for one, last heartbeat, “Sigrun, thank you. For everything.”

Turning around, she nodded. “You are welcome. But don’t expect me to return. You know I can’t. Still, you have grown wiser, Trickster. Maybe this time you will be able to protect them. My blessings for you and your family.”

And then the light of the Bifrost swallowed her.

~ ᗯ ~


	16. An unfortunate Headline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's see what a vindictive ex-employee can come up with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because trulywished is Awesome (captial 'A'), I'm on holiday and very, VERY creative, AND because all of you have waited so patiently for the last month, I'm uploading another chapter after only five short days. Have fun with it!

Water with honey!

After tossing and turning in his bed for more than an hour, Loki decided that having cravings was allowed when being pregnant. Bruce Banner had even warned him about them. He was well aware that it was not any craving but rather the picture of his master’s bleeding lip was keeping him awake. And despite Tony having forgiven him, he did not feel redeemed.

Pepper decided that she needed some warm milk to find some rest, since her engineer was out like a light but her mind was still picking apart Stark Industry’s recent press release. She saw Loki tense when he noticed her entering the kitchen and finally Pepper got an idea where the split lip had come from. Tony had pointedly avoided talking about it.

Pouring herself a glass of milk, she nudged the god gently. “Could you put this in the microwave for me, please?” When Loki nodded silently, not meeting her eyes, she picked up her tablet again to make some notes. She had learned to wait Tony out and nobody was more emotionally stunted than him. Loki only needed a few minutes to break. When he offered her glass back to her, he asked quietly, “Will you punish me?”

Feigning ignorance, she took a sip. “What for?”

“He didn’t tell you?” Loki finally looked up, clearly confused. The guilt was written all over his face.

“About what? His split lip? No, Tony has very loudly avoided mentioning it.”

Sagging, the god dropped his eyes again. “Still, you know what happened.”

Saving her notes, Pepper shook her head “No, I don’t. And it doesn’t matter anyway.”

“How can you say that?” Loki choked, squeezing his eyes shut because his bad conscience was overwhelming him.

Gently cupping his chin, caressing his cheek, Pepper assured him. “Because if it were important, Tony would have said something.”

Distraughtly leaning into the caress, though feeling so very undeserving of it, he whispered hoarsely, “A slave must never raise a hand against his master, nor let any harm befall him. What I have done would be punishable by death in any other realm.”

Kind-heartedly lifting his head, forcing him to look at her, Pepper took in the fear, the desperation and the regret. Sighing slightly because they had been over this so many times, she started, “We don’t do …,” but interrupted herself half way through the sentence. “You know what, you already know that. It’s moot to repeat it. Let’s just go to bed.”

Downing her glass of milk, Pepper put it into the sink and headed towards the door. Words would achieve nothing with Loki. He had heard too many, for them to have meaning any longer. Maybe, as the God of Lies, he had never placed particular trust in them. There was only one way to assure him that he was part of this family and not as property. That him belonging was unaffected by making mistakes like lashing out against someone else. It was not as if any of them hadn’t done it at one point or the other. Bruce still held the record with Thor. They had to prove through actions that Loki was wanted. So she offered her hand and raised her eyebrows. “Are you coming?”

Docile and still unable to understand human behaviour, Loki followed Virginia to the master bedroom. Tony was snoring quietly, spread over the entire bed until his girlfriend nudged him. “Budge over.”

“Wasit?” Half opening an eye, Tony looked from Pepper to Loki and back again before mumbling something unintelligible and turning to the side. Pepper followed him, sliding under the covers, wrapping around him from behind. Instinctively the billionaire reached for her hand and wove their fingers together.

Loki hovered, unsure of what was expected of him. Virginia’s wishes were plain, but after everything that had happened, would Tony really want him around? The god was spared having to delve into the depths of this particular crisis when his master lifted the covers in front of him and mumbled, “Stop thinkin’ ‘n’ sleep.”

His cautious approach was rendered useless when Tony pulled his wrist and had him tumble into bed. As if this was the most normal thing to do, the human pulled Loki to his chest and was back to sleep within seconds.

All the fallen god could do was stare into the darkness. His mind slowly caught up with the situation. After everything he had done, maybe even because of it, his mistress … no, Virginia had pulled him into her and Tony’s bed. Everybody in the tower had repeatedly assured him that there was no slavery on Earth in general, but especially not in the tower. These people were family and perceived him as much as a part of that family as Thor. And tonight, after he had injured one of them, Virginia had done the best she could to establish that it didn't matter. He was here not as their slave who satisfied his master’s desires, but as someone she cared about, who was too distressed to sleep alone.

Maybe he had lied to Tony, in the kitchen all those days ago, when he had told him that there were times when he was happy. The lack of fear, the calm comfort of the knowledge that he would not be punished on a whim … he might have mistaken these feelings for happiness because he was quite sure that the warmth that spread through his entire body right now was so much closer to happiness than anything, short of holding his children, had been in his very long life.

It was either that or love, but the last thought was too scary for him to even consider. So, with his head on Tony’s arm, the engineer’s hand wrapped around his waist and Virginia’s hand on his hip Loki was finally able to sleep.

~ ᗯ ~

The next day the god woke to a familiar scent and it took him a few moments to place it. When he was fully awake he was able to identify it as arousal and since he now lay huddled on Tony’s stomach, he did not need long to identify the origin. The engineer was languidly burrowing deeper into the covers while sporting quite an impressive erection. Virginia was currently walking out of the door, shoes in hand, sending him a warm smile before leaving.

Instincts beaten into him were at war with a desire Loki was not even sure he was allowed any longer. After a while he decided that an apology in form of sexual gratification could not be a mistake. He slowly pulled back the cover and crouched lower on the bed. At first he just brushed his lips over Tony’s stomach and hip-bones. With a pleasant sigh the billionaire encouraged him unconsciously.

Placing open mouthed kisses on warm skin, the god slowly brushed up the under-shirt and tugged at the pants. When he edged closer to the middle, Tony shifted slightly, giving the god turned slave even better access to his pelvis. Closing his eyes, Loki swallowed. Everything about this was far too familiar and his sleep addled mind had trouble separating the present from the past. Still, he would go through with this, he decided. If only to prove that he could. After yesterday, his master deserved him making an effort.

Virginia and Tony had gone a long way to make him feel wanted. Memories from the past shouldn’t keep them from getting what they desired. He steeled himself when gentle fingers carded through his hair, keeping his lips inches away from his master’s cock. Knowing what to expect, Loki relaxed his throat and parted his lips.

The dark elf had loved fucking his mouth first thing in the morning. There had never been any kind of preparation, no warning, just one hand on Loki’s head, forcing him down until he had choked. He had learned to accommodate even the tremendous length of his former owner. Breathing in short gasps while still making it pleasurable for his master.

Tony would be easy, of that Loki had no doubt. He would be gentle and careful, giving the fallen god ample time to adjust to his length. So he looked up expectantly, leaning a fraction closer to proof his willingness, breathing over the erected shaft enticingly. Yet all the human did was smile and shake his head. His voice was rough from sleep but ever so kind when he told him, “No, Loki. Not like this. Not when you are trying to prove something. Or make up from something, or simply doing duties that are not yours anymore.”

“I do not …,” the fallen god started, but was interrupted by a small caress of his lower lip. Turning his head into the tender gesture, Loki froze when Tony shifted his leg slightly, pressing it closer between his legs.

“No, you don’t. You don’t really want this and no matter how much you convince your brain that this was a good idea, your body is not on board with the program.” Sighing slightly, Tony pulled Loki up and kissed him. “I want you, you know I do. Hell, you just saw it. But you are not ready. And I would rather fly another nuke to the other side of the universe than behave like the bastard who had you before you came to Earth.”

Turning his head away in shame, Loki whispered roughly, “I’m sorry.”

Yet all Tony did was pull him to his chest once again until their bodies were nestled together and Loki barely had room to tremble from embarrassment and shame. “There is nothing to be sorry about. We’ll get there, Reindeer Games. Don’t worry. We have all the time in the world.”

~ ᗯ ~

Despite feeling slightly uneasy because of Tony’s rejection, Loki joined the engineer in the kitchen. The fallen god was taking care of coffee, while Tony threw a bunch of pop-tarts into the oven. Both froze mid-motion when they heard Pepper snapping from the living room, “What the hell?”

Looking at each other with concern, the dark-haired men abandoned their tasks and went looking for her.

Pepper was currently standing by the window, studying something on her pad. Fury edged into every line of her body, she demanded, “JARVIS, give me the other headlines!”

When Tony approached her, wrapping his arms around her waist, he gazed over her shoulder to discover what had infuriated her so much. Taken aback he mirrored her outbreak, “What the hell?”

Seeing Loki’s apprehension, he gestured for Pepper to throw up her headline along the others.

## -: IRON MAN HOSTS WAR CRIMINAL :-  
Merchant of Death back in business?

To make the flashy headline even flashier it was accompanied by photos of Loki from Stuttgart, grainy snapshots of the leader of the Chitaury attack that could be him and a black and white sketch of Loki’s departure. Though S.H.I.E.L.D. had tried to cover up as much as possible, their own agents being controlled by the enemy was apparently bad for business, a few pictures had made it online. All that had been needed for a good headline, had been someone with moderate hacking skills and a grudge, to connect the dots. Judging by the accurate description of both the attack and Iron Man, someone had gone toe to toe with JARVIS and Tony’s data pool.

_“Miss Potts?”_

“Yes, JARVIS?”

_“I feel the need to inform you that people are gathering at the front door. Reporters and concerned citizens alike.”_

Closing her hand around Tony’s wrist, Pepper scolded, when he made an attempt to head for the balcony. “Don’t even think about using Iron Man! No armour from a former weapons designer to defend a war criminal!”

Ignoring Tony’s scowl and verbose protests, Pepper concentrated on the subject of the unflattering headline. As soon as Loki had had realized that this was all about him, he seemed to have shrunken in on himself, flinching back as if her berating of Tony had caused him physical pain. From everything Pepper knew, they might have. Briefly squeezing Tony’s hand, she stepped up to their god. By now he was not even able to meet her eyes. Cupping his face, tenderly caressing his cheeks, she asked him in the softest tone, “Loki, do you trust me?”

Snapping his head up, he nodded empathically. “Of course. My faith in you knows no bounds. If you wish for me to leave, merely point me into the desired direction.”

Ignoring Tony’s growl, Pepper brushed the suggestion off with but a tilt of her head, “I will do no such thing. But if you truly trust me, then allow me to handle this. Stay here and believe that no matter what I’m about to do, it is in your best interest. Can you do that?”

After gazing at his master for a second; Tony seemed much calmer now that Pepper had revealed to have a plan; the fallen god took a deep breath and nodded, “Yes, Virginia.”

“Good,” she exhaled relieved. “Stay here, both of you. I will let you know if I need you.” And with that she left for the master bedroom.

Loki and Tony had just read through the extensive article, by now convinced that nobody but the recently fired Mr. Thomas was the reason for this headline. Pepper came back out not three minutes later. Where she had worn business attire before, she was now clad in soft jeans and a blouse that was knotted above her waist. She even wore comfortable flats instead of her accustomed high heels. What drew both men’s eyes was the deep, emerald silk her top was made off. It was the exact shade Loki had worn during the press conference two days after his arrival.

When Tony tried to say something Pepper only kissed him. “You trust me with everything you have and everything you are. So trust me with the reputation of the father of your children as well.”

Taking a deep breath, Tony nodded. “If you run into any kind of trouble, you will call!”

“Don’t worry, I will scream for help and let my knight in red and gold armour come to my rescue. Alright?”

After his reluctant agreement, Pepper boarded the elevator to the ground floor, pulling her hair into a messy bun. “Brief me, JARVIS.” She had waited for this, prepared for it. Now they would find out if her preparations were worth the effort.

~ ᗯ ~

When Pepper entered the lobby, she had a good overview over the situation yet looked like she had been surprised during breakfast. She had even taken off most of her make-up, to give an impression of minimal preparations. The more the people thought this to be spontaneous the better.

A wall of questions and yelling assaulted her the moment she left the building. People needed some time to calm down, but in Tony's employment Pepper had learned patience. The first question she could make out and was actually willing to answer concerned the current whereabouts of Tony and Loki. Calmly, she replied, “I am sure you can understand Mr. Stark’s concerns regarding the safety of the father of his children in the face of all this. Excuse me when I say that, but I feel very unsettled when facing so many angry people.”

Loki and Tony exchanged a smirk. They were following the data JARVIS compiled by making good use of Stark Industry’s extensive security system. Sure, there were a lot of things that 'unsettled' Pepper: mortal peril for Tony and herself or Earth being attacked by aliens for example. But after Extremis, mere humans rarely made that list. When they returned their attention to the screen, Pepper was talking about the battle of New York and the scientist Erik Selvig, whose work had enabled the opening of the portal. She carefully steered the questions towards Loki who had used the sceptre to execute an absolute level of mind control over the scientist, forcing him, without the slightest chance of resistance, to open a portal to the other end of space.

The anxious question, “So if he used this sceptre before to control others, what will keep him from using it again on Mr. Stark, or you, or any Avenger in the tower?”

Supressing a smile, because this was the question she had been waiting for, Pepper told the ‘concerned citizen’, “Because when it was taken from him by the Avengers, its influence broke, even over the one who wielded it.”

“Are you trying to tell us, that even as a god, Loki was being controlled?”

Shrugging half-heartedly, Pepper brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear, looking down for a heartbeat. “I can’t prove anything, but if you read up on your Norse mythology, despite all the mischief he has caused, does Loki Silvertongue really strike you as the kind of person who would destroy a world his brother had declared under his protection?”

“By the fates!” Loki breathed, “She’s turning this around on Thor, the golden boy! How come you are not already married to this woman?”

Grinning, Tony slouched into the sofa, obviously very pleased with the way his CEO was handling yet another one of his private affairs. “I’m not really any in-laws dream candidate.”

Shaking his head at this weak excuse, the Thundergod’s adopted brother returned his attention to the woman who was defending him so skilfully.

Virginia was currently explaining how Loki had been brought back to Asgard after the battle. How, when Thor had returned with him a little over a month ago, they had learned about the magic dampener he was now forced to wear to make sure that nobody could use him against mankind ever again. How air-tight Jarvis security protocols were and how certain Thor was that his brother would never act against him or any of his friends, let alone Earth, now that his mind was once more his own. She always came back to Thor. His protectiveness of Earth and his faith in his brother.

Would anybody else be uttering these phrases, Loki would have laughed them off. Yet with Virginia there seemed to be no room for the slightest doubt. Loki knew that this was all a ruse, a well thought out story to keep the reporters off their backs. But a part of him longed for her trust to be real and even more to be worthy of it.

Pepper’s elaborate scheme of smoke and mirrors found acceptance, when she requested a picture from Jarvis that showed the magic dampening device, proofing without the shadow of doubt that Loki was safe. At least that was the way she sold it to the general public. From the assorted pictures JARVIS provided, one in particular made her smile so she choose it for publication.

“Yesterday, Mr. Stark was working with the head of our R&D department, solving the problem with our latest Stark-phone. Since it was a weekend, we invited our employee’s family and Loki's vast experience with child-care allowed him to lend us a helping hand.” The snapshot, extracted from their very own security feed, showed Loki picking up Charly from the changing table, refastening one of her diaper straps. Next to him the mother was in the picture, unrecognizable while laughing with her head thrown back, the other child safe in her arms.

The picture served three purposes: One, showing the collar around Loki’s neck. The crude design with the intricate carvings indication of its strength and purpose. Two, a human, not an Avenger, completely at ease around Loki and three, the uttermost care the god used when handling a child.

“All Tony and Loki want at the moment is to make sure that their children are safe. You were willing to give Mr. Stark a chance when he became Iron Man. He and the Avengers are fighting for you time and time again. All he asks of you now is your trust that he would never do anything to endanger you or this city. Keeping the achievements of his past in mind, I think that is not too much to ask.”

Wrapping the session up, she concluded, “If you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to send them to our PR-department or direct them at any Avenger you come across. As you are well aware, the safety of the people on this planet is their first and foremost concern. None of them would ever tolerate anything that puts that safety at risk. Thank you.”

~ ᗯ ~

“I will buy her a new car,” Tony decided. “I saw this gorgeous Lexus cabriolet last week. It’s all ‘environmental friendly’. I’m sure she will like that.”

Pulling his eyes from the screen and the picture Pepper had chosen, Loki shook his head. “I doubt that Virginia wants a new car from you.”

Smiling all teeth, Tony finally rose form the couch and went to fetch some much needed coffee. “You know what, you are absolutely right.”

Mistrustful of the billionaire’s easy compliance, Loki followed.

“Since this all is more or less your fault, with you having tried to conquer this planet and all, you should pay for the clean-up. You will put on your monkey suit and join her to the ballet!”

Had Loki tensed at the beginning of Tony’s sentence, he relaxed visibly and started fussing with the pop-tarts. Sighing deeply, all for show, he relented. “Well, if you think this will help to make up for Virginia’s effort, I think I can suffer through a few hours of music and dancing.”

Familiar with this exasperated tone, Tony looked at Loki suspicious. “You enjoy ballet, don’t you?”

“Whatever my master thinks best,” the god answered, grinning mischievously.

“Pepper!” Tony wailed as soon as his CEO left the elevator. “Loki likes the ballet!”

“Well, good to know that at least one half of your relationship enjoys something that is considered culture,” she smiled, hugging Loki when she saw the overwhelming gratitude in his eyes.

Finally sipping his coffee, Tony smiled at them and corrected her softly, “Two thirds actually.” Yet before either Pepper or Loki could comment on that, he vanished to his workshop.

“Virginia?”

“Yes, Loki?”

“Thank you.”

Kissing him softly, enjoying that Loki reciprocated without hesitation, Pepper smiled. “You are welcome.”

~ ᗯ ~

Over the next few days several Avengers followed Pepper's request and chose to be available for public interrogation.

Bruce was asked for an ‘expert opinion’ as to whether the collar was really able to supress Loki's magic and if the Hulk could smash him again if he got out of control. Sighing at the violent suggestion, Bruce chose to concentrate on the first part of the question. "Keeping in mind what we have heard from Asgard and Loki himself, the collar is available to dampen Loki's magic to an extent that only what he absolutely needs for living is available to him."

~ ᗯ ~

Clint and Natasha allowed themselves to be cornered at a coffee-shop. Did they trust Loki? Sharing a glance, shrugging slightly, Natasha answered first, "As much as I trusted Tony when meeting him for the first time."

Grinning jovially, Clint interrupted, "I saved the world with Iron Man the first day I met him. He always had my back."

~ ᗯ ~

Thor was approached by a hesitant, young family while helping Jane set up an experiment. Since she usually banned him from these, he was especially eager to prove himself useful. When he heard the question thrown at him, if he truly believed that Loki was no longer a danger to Earth, he excused himself and approached the humans. Humbly he sank to his knees when he found a boy of about six stare up at him fearful. Addressing the child instead of the parents, Thor asked, “Do you really believe that my brother would bring destruction to this realm … your home?”

The little guy looked up and when both parents smiled at him encouragingly, he came closer to Thor and explained. “I am going to be a big brother in three months and ten days. And they say on the TV that your brother did all these mean things. There were aliens, big, scary ones, many people died. I don’t want my baby brother to get hurt. I have to protect him! Mum and Dad say that’s my job from now on.”

Closing his eyes, because he could understand that sentiment so easily, Thor collected himself when he felt Jane’s hand on his shoulder. “I feel the same way about Loki,” the Thundergod admitted. “Though I did a much poorer job than you will. Despite my attempts to guard my younger brother, he got hurt in the past. Very much so and there was nothing I could do to help him.”

“So you want him here to protect him?”

Smiling at the child whose world was so very simple, Thor tilted his head. “Yes and no. My brother is a grown man, entitled to make his own decisions and mistakes. He does not trust me to protect him any longer. But that does not mean that I don’t want to try. Besides, he is pregnant, just like your mother. Most important is now the safety of his children.”

Realizing that Thor was getting a little of course, Jane squeezed her god’s shoulder and continued for him. “When I met Loki for the first time I was dying because I've come in contact with alien technology. Just because his brother asked him for help Loki escaped prison and helped Thor to save me. He’s certainly not a nice guy, but he’s willing to go any length to protect those important to him or his family. He had been forced to attack Earth before, but I can assure you: with Loki here, we are much safer than him being any other place in the universe.”

When the adults thanked them and left, explaining to their boy that no, Thor had not made fun of him, Loki could get pregnant, even as a man because he was an alien. Thor accompanied Jane back to their camp side. “Why where you bending the truth? Don’t you have faith in my brother’s motives?”

Turning towards her alien boyfriend, Jane looked up at him adoringly. “Thor, I have every faith in your brother’s motives. But telling these nice people the truth would not have helped his situation.”

“What truth?”

“That your brother is a mad alien with issues a mile long, including but not limited to, a desperate need to proof himself, suicidal tendencies, a concerning lack of self-esteem, a past of betrayal, torture and rape as well as PTSD and panic attacks.” When noticing Thor’s paling complexion she kissed him gently. “Thor, Loki has a whole mountain of problems and only because he decided to let Stark help, is he able to function as a somewhat normal person. At least most of the time. Still, that does not make him harmless. And that’s not what the general public needs to hear! Pepper did everything to make them believe in him. It's now our job to support that story.”

~ ᗯ ~

Steve Rogers was the last to be questioned, but since he was barely recognizable out of costume it was Bruce who addressed the matter after one of their rare morning runs. “Do you share Tony’s belief of Loki being the harmless victim?”

Sighing, Steve sank into the grass facing him. “Yes and no. It’s complicated.”

Smiling softly, Bruce offered his water-bottle. “What isn’t with us?”

Shrugging Steve drank to buy some time. He wanted to choose his words carefully because his friend would call him on his bullshit if he lied. “Tony chose to go along with Loki’s scheme. He offers free living, free equipment for all of us, and him being an asshole aside, he always has our backs. He rarely asks for anything in return.”

“So you are supporting a war criminal to repay Tony's benevolence?”

“No, of course not!”

When Bruce smiled slightly, Steve growled and pushed the bottle back at him. Deflating the soldier sighed. “Loki did horrible things in the past. But keeping in mind the past of all of us, I don’t think I should be the one to judge. Especially not with the number of people I killed in the war.”

At his friend’s raised eyebrows, Steve acknowledged, “Loki definitely is a victim right now and in dire need of help. Do I think him harmless? He kept me asleep for an entire day, using but a fraction of his magic or so he said. I was at his mercy but in the end he was just trying to help. No, Loki is not harmless, but for now I think that he is on our side. Keeping in mind who we are and what we do for a living, I think that’s enough.”

~ ᗯ ~

Weeks passed and all too soon Loki found his pants becoming uncomfortably tight. JARVIS suggested something he called ‘sweatpants’ but the loose design had the Asgardian fumbling with the strings and irritated all the way to the kitchen. When he offered Virginia her coffee, he addressed the matter. “It seems that I have gained too much weight since coming to the tower. My pants have grown too tight.”

Looking up from her pad, Pepper requested, “May I see your stomach?”

Though the god now shared their bed on occasion, mostly when Tony’s sleep deprived mind just pulled him along, neither of the three had been naked. Loki was slowly growing irritated with his humans because they kept insisting that he was ‘not ready’ for more. So he felt a little embarrassed when lifting his shirt in front of her, turning to the side at Virginia’s gesture. It was surprising what a lack of constant humiliation could do to a person’s sense of shame.

With a warm smile she approached him and placed a hand on his stomach. Loki could barely keep himself from leaning into the comforting touch. “It seems that you are in need of some maternity fashion. Or paternity fashion in your case. Do you want to go shopping or should I take care of it?”

Since Loki barely left the tower, he longingly looked out of the window. “You would … would Tony be alright with me going out?” True, the last few months had managed to give him a great peace of mind. The fallen god managed to push his experiences as a slave deeper and deeper into the back of his mind. Still, sometimes old instincts resurfaced and made him unsure.

“Let’s ask him.”

When Tony entered, Loki handed over his accustomed cup of coffee, despite the engineer looking like he was on his way to bed rather than to the workshop.

“Tony, do you need Loki in the afternoon?” Pepper demanded his attention. “He needs new clothes.”

Looking his god up and down, Tony shrugged. “Loki can go wherever he wants. But why wait until the afternoon? You look pretty uncomfortable, Reindeer Games. Why not leave right now?”

Mentally going over her schedule, Pepper beamed at the billionaire. “You know what, that’s a great idea. Go and fetch your vest, Loki. It’s a little chilly today.”

“But what about breakfast?” The fallen god protested half-heartedly.

Tony brushed away his concern. “I’m on my way to bed anyway and you and Pepper can eat out. You’ll see, breakfast is a big thing in New York. I bet Pepper can show you new and amazing dishes you have never dreamed about.”

When Loki looked from Tony to Virginia and back again, a small smile lit up his face and he nodded.

Tony could not help but smile at the honest gratitude in his god’s eyes. Gazing at Pepper who mirrored his sentiment, he gently cupped Loki’s face and brushed a soft kiss over the god’s forehead. “Have fun. And don’t worry about budget today. Pepper has an excellent taste in clothes. Whenever she offers something you like just buy it. And maybe you want to look for a few things for the twins as well. We don’t know how long your pregnancy will last. Better be prepared.”

When Loki only looked at Tony speechless, the engineer nudged him towards Pepper who had gathered his vest and then pushed both into the elevator before passing out on the couch. He wanted to hear every little detail about their trip as soon as they returned.

~ ᗯ ~


	17. Going down to Business

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepper and Tony show Loki how very much he is wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this while it lasts. You won't like the outcome.

Chatter pulled Tony from sleep into a light doze, laughter woke him. When peeking over the back of the couch, he saw Pepper and Loki emerging from the elevator, a pad between them. Compared to this morning Loki looked considerably more relaxed. He once again wore black trousers and a green tunic, yet both seemed a much better fit than the attire he had chosen before. Pepper was laughing at a picture, yet the look Loki gave her made Tony hesitate to make himself known.

He didn’t know this gaze, would never admit to being familiar with it despite having seen it on a few snapshots of Pepper and himself. Jealousy reared its ugly head. How was it any of this god’s business to look at the love of his life like she was the greatest, most perfect being in the entire universe? She was, but that was not the point.

When Pepper lifted her eyes from the tablet to look at him, Tony had to swallow. Her gaze was so full of adoration and love that the billionaire felt undeserving. When she approached and leaned over the couch to kiss him, Tony touched her face, brushed over her cheek as softly as his calloused fingers allowed and tried to tell with his body what he couldn’t put into words. Luckily, Pepper had learned to understand what he couldn’t say.

The soft whisper of footsteps pulled them out of their affection. Loki’s back was all they saw as their god fled the scene.

After a moment Tony pulled Pepper around the couch and when she took off her murder heels, he accepted her feet in his lap and started rubbing them. Slightly hesitant he asked, “He’s head over heels in love with you. You know that.”

There was fear in Tony’s eyes, worry how she would react, longing to keep her, as if his possessive grip on her feet was not enough of an indicator, and underneath it all a love so limitless that Pepper sometimes wondered how a girl like her could ever warrant it. Her loyalty to him was absolute, even before he had noticed her. But she had little more to offer than a swift mind and the determination to do everything to protect him. Even from himself. In a way she was grateful for Extremis. Now, if someone came into their home, she could at least hold her ground instead of fleeing the scene or needing protection from Iron Man, leaving Tony vulnerable against the enemy.

In a way, she and Tony were exactly alike. He also thought that he had too little to offer for someone to like him for who he was, instead of his money. Fortunately he had found people who saw through such ruse for a living and though Pepper doubted that any Avenger would ever tell him how much they liked him, she was aware of their sympathy. They all had their own issues. Nobody addressed them. Instead they all used action to prove their conviction. Pepper had had to thank Clint and Natasha more than once when they brought Tony home from a party because he had been too intoxicated to drive. Or Steve when he pulled him out of his workshop and forced one charity event or the other on him.

In the end she smiled and decided to point out the obvious, “Are you aware that he looks at you the same way?”

“He doesn’t! He’s just grateful that I let him stay.”

“Someone who is grateful for bed and breakfast doesn’t usually look at his host as if the universe revolves around him.”

Unable to deal with this, especially without coffee, Tony fled to the kitchen. Taking her time, Pepper followed. Knowing the thoughts racing through Tony’s head, she picked up a cup and prompted him to serve her. When they were half way through their drinks, she nudged him. “What do you plan on doing about this?”

“Something?”

 She smiled at his unsure answer, as if she was not agreeable to any sort of action Tony would decide upon. “When?”

“Tonight?”

Offering her now empty cup she kissed his cheek and put on her shoes again. “I’ll be back around eight.”

~ ᗯ ~

The morning with Virginia had been thoroughly enjoyable. They visited three shops where Loki had quite reluctantly accepted the clothes the surprised vendors offered. After a brief brunch, consisting mostly of honey, flat bread, and various exotic fruits, Pepper directed him towards a shop that seemed to sell mostly shirts with skulls, jackets with snakes, and parts of motorbikes, or a combination thereof. Though Loki seriously doubted that he would find something he could enjoy wearing in here, he refrained from pointing that out. Virginia had taken time off for him. He did not want to appear ungrateful.

He was surprised to find her smiling at a huge man, who was clad in leather sporting an impressive beard that would make Volstagg weep in envy. Not someone Virginia usually surrounded herself with. He was surprised about the way she addressed the man. "Captain Rogers recommended your store, Mr. Denton. To my knowledge, you helped him equip his bike at an extremely reasonable price and Steve mentioned your somewhat broad array of products."

Smiling, the bear of a man patted Pepper's hand kindly and gestured at the wall behind his counter. There was a picture of Steve on his bike with his signature underneath. "Harry is sufficient, Miss Potts. It's a pleasure to meet you. Truth be told, I would have equipped that boy for free, but he insisted on paying me at least my purchase price. But enough about me, what brings you here? You don't look like someone who prefers leather over silk, if you don't mind me saying."

Unfazed that someone she had never met knew her name, Virginia smiled brightly. "Honestly, it's Mister Loki I hope to equip. I'm sure you've heard that he is pregnant. Sadly maternity wear lacks a certain …"

"… style?" Harry finished the sentence, nodding at the fallen god.

"Exactly! Do you think you can help us?" Going over his options, the man now approached Loki and shook his hand. "I might, but that depends if you are inclined to try something different."

Curious about what this human had to offer, Loki inquired, "Different how?"

Gesturing towards the back of the store, the vendor made an inviting gesture, "Why don't you look for yourself, Sir?"

More than an hour later, Loki emerged in black pants, made of the softest leather. They were laced at the side, allowing him to in- and decrease the waist to his liking. Mr. Denton … Harry, had also produced a variety of shirts and tunics of pure cotton in a narrow colour array of black, white and red. He had explained something about medieval fairs, costume parties, and dress-ups when Loki had asked about the purpose of these extraordinary clothes. The bear had even found a tunic of a deep, emerald green, a matching set with a wide, flowing skirt. Since Pepper had agreed to buy three pants and a dozen tops as well as a long, black leather vest, he had thrown it in free of charge.

Once Loki wore trousers laced to frame his changing body perfectly, he nearly toppled over when he found Virginia signing a receipt for nearly fifteen-thousand dollars. It seemed that the trousers that fit him were hand-made and therefore quite expensive. For someone who had been beaten into believing that he had no right to own anything, this was quite overwhelming. When he protested, Virginia reminded him, “Tony told you not to worry about budget today and Harold here just told me that you liked the cotton tunics much better than the other shirts.”

“I did.” Loki admitted and couldn’t help but mirror the gesture when Virginia smiled at him blindingly. Kissing her hand he stated quietly, “Thank you. For making the effort.”

Gently squeezing his hands she assured him, “Any time.”

Deciding to put off shopping for baby clothes for another time, they returned to the tower, merely browsing through the options furniture-designers thought suitable for new-borns. The amount of cloth and lace and ridiculous animals made Loki frown. When Virginia had showed him examples of baby rooms, his horrified gaze made her laugh.

For a heartbeat, Loki found himself stopping and stare. To him, she had the most perfect laugh in all the realms. Her posture was open and joyful and he, Loki, God of Mischief had achieved that. When he finally managed to draw his gaze away he noticed Tony, peeking over the back of the couch. He did not appear to be happy with the situation, at least not until his partner approached him and kissed him lovingly. The billionaire’s possessive gesture made Loki realized once again how much of an intruder he had become to their relationship. Unwilling to put another strain on them, he retreated to his room. Today he had been perfect so far, but now he just felt tired and sad. Curling up on his bed, he drifted off within moments.

~ ᗯ ~

Soft hands caressing his head pulled Loki out of his slumber. An equally soft voice drew his attention, “Wake up sleeping beauty, we’ve got work to do.”

For one heartbeat, really just one, Loki squeezed his eyes together, desperately wishing that this was really his. That his time here could be longer than the blink of an eye and that he had a place amongst these mortals But dwelling on the impossible would not do him any good, so no matter how much he wished to lean into the caress, he pulled away and left the bed. Ignoring the calculating look Tony gave him, he fled to the bathroom to collect himself.

When he emerged a few minutes later, the engineer was already in a deep conversation with JARVIS and frantically typing away on his pad. The moment he noticed Loki, he gestured him to follow. Explaining the setup of the next series of tests, Tony left his god to the preparations, examining the security footage JARVIS had just recorded in Loki’s room.

As he had expected, the impression he had gotten from his dark haired god had been right. Not only had Loki instinctively edged closer to him the moment he had claimed a place on the bed, he had also leaned into the caresses, heartache and longing prominent on his face. Maybe Pepper was right. Maybe Loki wanted them both equally. Well, they would find out tonight. Until then, Tony could offer his dark-haired god the chance to collect himself and regain his composure.

Still unable to integrate magic into modern technology, both men enjoyed a few hours of trial and error, highlighted by two explosions that shattered the phones into a million pieces. And although Loki got more and more frustrated the less successful they were, Tony’s mood took an upturn the later it became.

Around half past seven, he ushered Loki upstairs to decide on dinner. With pizza and beer they enjoyed the latest version of the sleeping beauty tale. Both Tony and Pepper were keeping a close eye on how Loki reacted to a story where the villain ultimately turned out to be the hero. When the movie was over, Loki stated quietly, “It will do you no good to think me the tragic hero instead of the villain. I’m responsible for the loss of countless innocent lives, just because I …”

‘Because I craved approval.’

‘Because I wanted to be loved.’

Pepper and Tony traded a glance, well aware of the history of their dark haired god. In the end Tony shared gravely, “So am I. ‘Merchant of Death’ is not a recent term, you know. The name of Stark comes with a bloody legacy. My father made obscene amounts of money because he was able to invent better ways to kill people than his competitors. All I did for the first thirty years of my life was trying to live up to that. I invented weapons of mass destruction just because I thought that would gain me his love or at least his approval. In the end the empire I tried so very much to uphold nearly killed me. Someone I thought I could trust betrayed me. I changed. Why do you think you can’t as well?”

Softly and with resignation in his tone, Loki whispered, “Because you can’t fight the fates. I am Loki Liesmith, the Trickster with the silver tongue, the God of Mischief. Nothing I do will ever change that.”

Gently caressing his head, drawing his attention, Pepper reminded him. “It does not matter who you are but what you do. Mischief does not have to be deadly and some lies don’t hurt anybody.”

Leaning down so that he was face to face with his god, Tony asked in a low purr, “What do you want right now?”

For a heartbeat Loki seemed frozen, trapped between Pepper’s hand on his head and Tony’s lips in front of him. Barely able to breathe he admitted, “To belong,” before he reached for the engineer’s head, closing the last distance between them, and daring to claim his lips.

Loki was reminded that working metal increased a mortal’s strength when Tony pulled him into his lap, returning the kiss hungrily. Yet the knowledge melted away under his human’s clever lips and possessive hands. He couldn’t supress the unexpected whine that escaped him when Virginia pulled him away from Tony and claimed his lips for herself.

Where the man was strength and playfulness, the woman was soft and seductive, able to undo him with but a single touch. Lost in sensation Loki reached for them both, clawing at their tops to get them closer. The fates seemed to smile at him because once again they pulled him in-between, caressing every part of his body within reach.

With his silver tongue abandoning him under the soft scratch of Tony’s beard on his neck, Loki could only communicate his desire by rolling his body into the engineer’s embrace. Shallow scratches by blunt nails down the length of his back made him arch back, offering his unprotected neck. Unable to turn either way, because Tony and Pepper were attacking him from both sides in the best possible way, he let out a strangled sob, when someone opened the laces of his trouser, pulling them open just enough for Pepper to push her hand in. Trapped between the leather and Loki's body she closed her long, elegant fingers around his cock.

The touch was fire and ice, too strong and too light at the same time. Every cell in his body demanded more friction, relief, **something** , but Tony’s hands on his hips kept him immobile. Once he had gotten his point across, the engineer reached for Loki’s chin, demanding his attention. “You don’t have to do this, never forget that, Loki. Any time you want us to stop, any time we do something you don’t like, you tell us! Understood?”

‘What is this crazy human talking about?’ Loki wondered. He had dreamed about this for weeks now. Really ever since their first kiss in the kitchen. Well, not exactly this because not even in his wildest dreams had he been able to conjure a situation where he would feel the hands of both of his humans on his skin. What Tony suggested was preposterous! Unable to find words to explain, Loki merely reached for the engineer’s head and pulled him closer so that their lips nearly met, “Don’t you dare stop!” Then he once again crushed their mouths together.

It seemed that this was all the encouragement his humans needed, because the next moment Tony claimed Loki’s mouth and Pepper started her first, tantalizing stroke. The god choked on the passion, lost in the decision of whether he should edge closer to Tony or push into Virginia’s enticing caress. Luckily they didn’t wait for his input.

Tony proved his ability to multitask by opening Loki's trousers, pulling them down to his knees without breaking their kiss and Virginia leaned closer still, ridding him of his new tunic. Soft lips surrounded by a scratchy beard started to trail down his chest. His entire skin started to tingle when the man left small suction marks on his way, abandoning the patch of skin in question only when he was sure that the red mark would remain at least for the duration of their love-making. When Loki raised himself to his knees, Tony growled at the back of his throat. “Want!”

Meeting her partner’s eyes, Pepper was immediately able to decipher the meaning of his one word demand. With a tantalizing smile she stood up and pulled Loki to his knees as well. His slight resistance at this change of position vanished when she turned his head and claimed his lips. The god’s fingers dug into Tony’s shoulders to steady himself. Even stronger when the engineer opened his trousers all the way and pulled them down. Loki groaned and let his head fall against Virginia’s shoulder, since it was spinning under the sensations.

Her words only registered at the edge of his mind since they were not even directed at him when she teased, “This is what you want?” Her fingers were trailing up and down Loki’s shaft, prompting him to push his hips forward.

“Yes …” Loki whispered hoarsely, oblivious to the fact that she had once again addressed Tony.

The one spoken to grabbed the god’s hips, pulling him closer while digging his fingers nearly painfully into Loki’s hips. The god however couldn’t care less. Too wrapped up in the passion his two mortals were conjuring in his body.

Pepper seemed to enjoy this game. She teased her partner with their god’s cock, at least until she allowed the silky head to brush over his kiss swollen lips. At the first taste the billionaire rumbled and grabbed Loki’s arse cheeks to pull him closer. No preparation, no gentle advances but pure, carnal hunger reflected in his eyes when he looked up at her. A knowing, predatory smile lit her face and she closed her arms even tighter around their god. Loki's hoarse shout had been accompanied by him growing weak in the knee for a second when Tony swallowed him down. Slowly, oh so slowly did she pull him flush against her slim body once again, despite Tony’s attempts to keep him close.

It became a battle between them. Pepper pulled Loki back, nearly separating him from Tony, and the engineer dragged him close again, taking his penis to the hilt. Their eyes never left each other and both revelled in the unusual situation, making the most of it.

Loki was trapped in a limbo. His entire existence was reduced to the passion his mortals were giving him. It had been years, maybe even centuries since he had felt this way. He had learned how to satisfy others, how to evoke passion or bring fast relief, for himself and his partners. During his years as a slave his own desire had become a mere after-thought. Something he had hoped to avoid since it gave his master or mistress power over him. But this was different from what he had been forced to ‘enjoy’.

True, a part of him had feared to act on his desires, to give Virginia and Tony even more power over him. But what they were doing now was not about power but about passion. Tony’s lips on his cock were teasing and fulfilling at the same time and Virginia’s hands on his skin, her lips on his neck made him feel wanted as if this was exactly where he should be.

Loki was clawing at Tony and Virginia both to find enough leverage to not be washed away by their passion. Had he been able to find a clear thought, he might have worried to harm them. But for now his fingers were reaching for whatever was close. Higher and higher his desire spiralled and though he was ready to burst, relief would not come. He started trembling all over and his hoarse little cries of passion turned into sobs.

The god did not notice the worried looks his humans exchanged. He only whined and pushed his hips out frantically when Tony pulled back after a moment. Yet instead of abandoning his task, the engineer mouthed something at Pepper before swallowing him down once again. Tony’s lips, his tongue that played around the underside of Loki's cock made him see stars but the god was unable to tumble over the edge. At least until Virginia’s lips traced from his mouth to his ear, nipping at his earlobe, ordering him quietly, “Come for me.”

Passion unlike anything rolled through Loki's body. His nails dug into her skin when he erupted into Tony’s mouth, holding the man so close that he was forced to swallow everything. He could not even breathe as long as his orgasm thundered through him, white lightning igniting his entire body. Once it was over, he lost consciousness.

He came around, huddled into the engineer, his head resting on the man's shoulder, soft hands caressing his hair while strong arms kept him safe. When he managed to look up he found Tony and Virginia locked in a demanding kiss. Their eyes were full of want when they looked at him, but there was kindness as well. Their gazes told him that he was precious to them and that thought alone stole his breathe. How could they care for him so much?

Virginia parted his sweaty strands, purring seductively, “You want a taste? You are delicious.”

Desire lit his body once again when Loki chased her lips. After a moment a brief tug on his hair pulled him away from her. Turning his head, he looked into the joyful eyes of Tony, who corrected him playfully, “She meant me, but you sure looked like you were enjoying yourself.”

Instantly Tony’s lips were claimed and the god groaned when he noticed the flavour of seed even more prominent there. He wanted to reprimand himself for daring to come in his master’s mouth, but Virginia’s teeth on his shoulder made it impossible to think straight. After several moments of nibbling and kissing, she suggested, “Why don’t we relocate to our bedroom?”

Raising his head, looking at her in naked hunger, Loki asked mischievously, “Will you remove your clothes there?”

Grinning, Pepper left the couch and headed towards the bedroom. “No. But I will allow you to do it.”

Glancing at each other for a heartbeat, Loki scrambled to get up and Tony followed in the same spirit.

~ ᗯ ~

When the men entered, Pepper sat on the foot of the bed, all prim and proper. Nothing about her clothes or posture indicated what had just happened in the living room. Her face however was another matter entirely: her lips were swollen, her cheeks flushed and her pupils were blown wide when she looked at them.

Loki swallowed heavily and looked at her with apparent longing. But only when Tony gave him a gentle push, did he dare to approach her. Wordlessly he looked at her and after a heartbeat sank to his knees. When she reached for him and prompted, “Loki …,” he interrupted her by capturing her hand, placing a gentle kiss on her palm. “Please, Virginia, this is my choice. Let me have this.”

Briefly caressing his cheek she nodded and sat back again. Tony paused in the removal of his clothes and watched his two lovers. No words would ever be enough to describe the adoration, no, reverence of Loki’s motions when he opened Pepper’s clothes, one button at a time. His lips followed the line of skin he revealed. The woman relaxed into the caress and looked at him adoringly.

Once her top was gone, Loki reached around her to open her skirt and, when she briefly lifted her hips, he removed it along with her underwear. The god tenderly traced the skin between her thighs with his tongue, edging lower when pulling down her stockings. Her bra was last and Loki only managed when Pepper took mercy on him and opened it for him. His loving caresses of her breasts made it worth her effort until he captured one of her nipples with his teeth and she arched against him, groaning happily.

Loki took his time. Learning her body as Tony and Pepper had learned his. He noticed that her breasts were sensitive, but she liked them to be handled delicately. Things were different when it came to her legs. Feather light kisses made her impatient. Her heel at the small of the god’s back prompted him to be rougher and her desire glittered right in front of Loki when he traced her thighs upwards with small nibbles. Yet before he could touch her core, she captured his chin and beckoned him closer, while shifting back on the bed at the same time. Seeing his prize slipping through his fingers, the god growled and followed.

Tony was drawn by the amazing picture. Pepper and Loki, naked in his bed. He had to be the luckiest bastard alive. The engineer had to steady himself when losing the last items of clothing, because he couldn’t tear his eyes away from them.

Being dragged away from Virginian’s core made Loki claim her lips all the more passionate. When he leaned over her, their bodies touched and the heat she was giving off would have been uncomfortable, but tonight Loki craved it. He wanted to burry into it and never leave. Still, he had enough presence of mind to know what a spectacularly bad idea that would be. He was a slave, not meant to lay claim.

Yet both Virginia and Tony allowed him to touch and taste and this was more than he could have ever hoped for. They wanted him. In bed, with them and Loki would not prove himself unworthy of this gift by taking what belonged to another. Smiling sharply at Virginia he made his way down again.

No woman Tony had ever bedded was as beautiful as Pepper. Now, for the first time, the billionaire could really appreciate her fully, because he was able to watch from a distance. Loki seemed to know exactly what was driving Pepper wild. That or he was a **really** fast learner. Oh, he took his time. Contrary to Tony, Loki was patient and obviously used to make it good for his partner. The engineer could see the god’s cock stirring again and, though he had no reason, was proud that Pepper could achieve that, simply by being herself.

She was sighing again with pleasure, when Loki once more trailed his lips over her thighs. His strong fingers were holding her in place so that she could neither wiggle away, nor move closer to his mouth. She keened desperately when he concentrated on her mons instead of her centre and her relieved cry made Tony nearly come right there when their god finally gave in to her wordless pleas and sunk his silver tongue into her body.

Enough was enough, the engineer decided. He had been patient and watched Pepper and Loki for several minutes. He was allowed to join them. Slowly he approached the bed and kneeled behind their residential god. When he touched Loki’s flanks he felt him shivering. The motion seemed to transfer directly to Pepper, because she arched into Loki with an appreciative noise. Leaning down, Tony offered one hand for her to hold on to. Their fingers entwined and when she looked up, her glassy gaze told him everything he needed to know. Yes, Pepper was more than well cared for. That left Loki.

Caressing the god’s backside with one callused hand, Tony started to draw a line upwards, following it with his lips. The way the god moved into the caress assured the engineer that he liked it. When Tony reached for the god’s neck, Loki actually pulled back; very much to Pepper's displeasure; and sought out the engineer’s lips needy. Tony groaned at the taste of Pepper on the god’s lips and tried to delve deeper, to capture every last bit of her.

When he pulled back again he nipped on Loki’s ear and promised, “If you can make her scream I will do the same to you later.”

The fire that burned in Loki’s eyes told Tony that the challenge was accepted. He moved a little closer still, groaning when his shaft slid between Loki’s arse-cheeks and reached for Pepper to pull her up for a passionate kiss. She seemed to enjoy herself since she gave as well as she got until, all of a sudden, she froze and pushed him away.

Confused about what was happening, Tony looked at her while she continued to push further. “Pepper, what?”

His question was interrupted by a forceful shove that send him flying to the other side of the bed. Meeting Tony’s eyes, Pepper told him, “He’s not enjoying himself any longer!”

~ ᗯ ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope to be able to maintain a regular posting schedule once again. Trulywished is really fast (hence 3 Chapters in 10 days) and because I've been on holiday I wrote a lot. So we should be back to one chapter a week.


	18. Not exactly as planned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, that much seems obvious. But Loki won't have to go through this (and life in general) alone. Not any more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back on a weekly posting scedule. Hurray!  
> Have a nice weekend and enjoy this chapter.

Tony's brain needed a moment to catch up with what was happening. Pepper pulled back against the headboard and though Loki followed with a desperate whine, the billionaire immediately noticed the difference in his demeanour. The god had been like a jungle-cat on the prowl before. Now he kneeled, huddled together, trying to make himself as small as possible. He wanted to resume his previous activities, but Pepper's gentle hand stopped him before he could touch her. Her voice was heartbreakingly soft when she reminded him, "You don't have to do this, Loki. This is supposed to be enjoyable for all of us."

Whispering brokenly, Loki did not even dare to look up. "I can make it enjoyable for you, mistress. Just give me another chance."

Tony noticed that now Pepper was now the one to flinch. He could share the sentiment. Weeks had passed since Loki had addressed either of them as master or mistress. It was like a bucket of ice over their heads, chilling them to the bone.

In a quick gesture, Tony reached for Pepper's dressing gown, before he knelt beside the distressed god. Loki still pleaded for a chance to fulfil his duties. But the engineer would have none of that. Gently he wove their fingers together and pulled Loki up so that the god would look at him. Ignoring his current lack of clothing, Tony put as much authority into his voice as possible when he ordered, "Tell me where you are?"

The question made Loki actually pause for a moment. Slowly, very slowly, he blinked and looked around. When he finally recognized Pepper and Tony, his eyes became impossibly large and he looked like he was about to get sick. He met their gazes only for a heartbeat, before scrambling off the bed, fleeing the room.

~ ᗯ ~

"That could have gone better." Pepper remarked, looking helplessly at Tony who shook his head. "I trapped him between us. I should have known that would trigger him."

Reaching for his hand, she contradicted. "There is no way to foretell what …," Her attempts to comfort were cut short when an explosion shook their floor.

Immediately the alarm went off, giving every Avenger access to their floor. The irritating noise was accompanied by JARVIS, who was audibly apprehensive. _"Sir, Miss Potts, it seems that Master Loki has lost his composure."_

Reaching for his trousers, Tony asked, "What is he doing?"

_"Remodelling his room, so to speak."_

The moment Pepper and Tony arrived at Loki's door, Clint stepped up to them from behind and Natasha was emerging from the staircase. Another, smaller explosion made all the humans look at each other with concern. Before any of them could reach for the door, Thor and Steve joined them as well.

Tony didn't inquire about Thor's presence. He was actually relieved to see the other Asgardian. The alarm meant 'all hands on deck.' And given the frequency of attacks, the Captain America instituted rule had saved them more than once.

Raising his shield, the Captain traded glances with the others before opening the door.

Subconsciously, each of them had been prepared for an attack. But what they saw was a still naked god, thrashing the furniture, while screaming in a language incomprehensible to any of them. He was so wrapped up in his anguish that he did not even notice them watching.

After a particularly vicious scream, that was accompanied by a green ball of pure energy, the bed was blown to pieces. Thor's sharp inhale drew their attention. When the other Avengers looked at him they saw so much pain and fury in his eyes that they had to brace themselves not to retreat. Lightning flashed across the sky, followed by a deafening clash of thunder.

Pepper's hand, covering the knuckle white grip around Mjolnir, brought the Thundergod back to himself. "What is he saying?"

Closing his eyes against the insufferable pain of his brother, Thor sounded wretched when he explained. "He's cursing his former mistress and master, recalling their torture and blaming them for destroying the first good thing that has happened to him in centuries. I don't know what he is talking about exactly but it tears him apart. He's threatening them with starvation, disembodiment and death, promising to return a hundredfold what they have done to him."

His chocked words evened out when his grip around his hammer made the leather creak. The thunderstorm howled around the tower, shaking its very foundations when he vowed, "I will kill them both. What they have done exceeds everything our father ever had in mind as a punishment."

"Don't take this the wrong way, Thor, but if your father really is all-seeing as you claim, he's a real bastard for turning a blind eye on his son." It was rare that Steve used such foul language, but not one of them disagreed.

Thor's distressed noise made it clear how little he liked the idea of Steve being right. He had been brought up to have absolute faith in the Allfather. To see the proof of such cruelty happening under his father's reign, and against his own brother, broke the Thundergod's heart.

Once again Pepper acted as the voice of reason. "When you go after them, you will take the Avengers with you. You six will bring me their heads on a plate. Understood?"

Bruce, who had arrived last, clad in fluffy pyjama bottoms and an old shirt answered for all of them, in an uncharacteristically blood thirsty manor. "Understood. But what should we do with Loki? I don't feel comfortable restraining him. And let's be honest. This episode is long overdue."

"We can't let him leave the tower." Natasha reminded them and Clint backed her up with the offer, "I could knock him out?"

Though the explosions had ceased, Loki still tore through his belongings, unable to calm despite having used up his mystical resources. The pain in his eyes, in his entire postures was so prominent that it made Pepper's heart clench. Quietly she decided, "I'm going in."

That drew the Avenger's attention better than even a roar from the Hulk. Immediately Steve protested, "Pepper, you can't. Loki's dangerous!"

Allowing her eyes to burn up, she replied calmly, "So am I."

When Tony stepped in her way, she reminded him, "He loves me, you said so yourself. He would never hurt me willingly."

"I don't think he's all there at the moment." Tony opposed, but Pepper shook her head. "I'm the one who heals fastest from all of us. So if none of you have a better idea, I suggest you let me go." When her partner didn't budge she demanded, "Get out of my way, Tony."

Aware that he was defeated, he stepped aside and relaxed marginally when Clint produced a bow from god knew where and loaded an arrow. Tense, ready to intervene at a moment's notice, the Avengers watched the CEO of Stark Industries approach the frenzied god.

~ ᗯ ~

Everything, everything had fallen to pieces when the memories of one of his first mistress' games had risen in Loki's mind.

Being with Virginia and Tony, taking his pleasure from them, had been indescribably. Their hands on his body, their lips on his skin had been better than anything he had experienced in a very long time. The first orgasm had sated a hunger Loki had not even known gnawing at him.

And then … afterwards … in their bedroom, to be able to touch Virginia the way he had longed to. To worship her like she deserved, Loki had never wanted to leave that bed and especially not when Tony had finally joined them.

Hands used to physical labour had caressed his skin ever so softly and the man's kisses had been intoxicating. Just like the taste of Virginia's desire. But the fates were determined to continue his punishment. Memories of unwilling orgies had suffocated him, had pulled him back to this horrible place in his mind where he was trapped between two selfish lovers, each one chasing only his own release, using Loki as a mere tool in the process.

Tony's question had brought him back to the present. But the master bedroom had not been a place he had been able to face. Too prominent were all the unspoken promises Virginia and Tony had made that day.

Why was he not allowed even a small reprieve from all this? Would his suffering never end? No mercy for the monster. He had been a fool to hope.

A burst of flames made him pause in his task of tearing his wardrobe to pieces. The Allfather had made him a slave. Why had he fooled himself by accepting clothes unbecoming for his status?

Virginia's calm voice pulled him out of his head. "Need a hand? If you want to destroy everything, burning seems like the fastest way. I can help you with that."

Gazing at the flames, wondering if he should not simply sink into them, he asked, "Will you punish me for this?"

Relaxing slightly beside him, Pepper nodded, "Of course. You destroyed your room. You will patch it up again."

When Loki didn't reply, she looked up from the flames. His posture was tense, defiant, but Pepper could see the underlying pain. Their god looked like he had during the first few days after his arrival: broken and too scared to hope. But now it was worse than it had been four months ago. Now he knew what she and Tony had to offer and he still felt unworthy.

When Pepper brushed her fingers through his hair, that simple caress broke him. Toppling from exhaustion, he couldn't even fight her when she pulled him into her lap. She smiled at the barely audible exhale from her audience. Still, her god needed her undivided attention since Loki started shaking when the last of the adrenalin left his system. He couldn't meet anyone’s eyes when Pepper ordered, "Tony, get him to bed, please."

The engineer picked him up like a doll and carried him back to their bedroom. The god couldn't bring himself to react, too scared that Tony would decide that Pepper had made a mistake and leave him behind.

Gazing into the flames, Pepper bunched up the burning clothes and extinguished them. Despite Natasha's protests, she merely sat there and watched her hands heal. After a few seconds she rose from the floor unblemished and looked at their friends. The Avengers seemed at loss of what to do. Give them an alien army and they would excel. But when it came to psychological issues beyond interrogation, they were lost.

So she took a deep breath and decided. "Loki will not leave Earth. Not now, not in a year, not in ten years if he wants to stay. I don't care about the rules. I don't care about Odin's verdict. He is part of our family now, so that's where he will stay. It doesn't matter what you have to do, Thor, or who you have to fight. We will all stay by your side if you deem it necessary but I want Odin, and every other god in every other realm made aware that Loki is ours now, ours to punish, ours to protect. Have I made myself clear?"

A collective nod told Pepper what she wanted to hear. Of all the people on this planet, the Avengers would never accept an assignment they were not convinced was right. Not even from her. The simple fact that nobody contradicted her, indicated that they all shared her opinion.

Thor was the one who confirmed, "As you wish, Lady Pepper. I will depart as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Thor." She smiled tiredly, turning towards her bedroom. "I'll go to bed now. It was a taxing day."

~ ᗯ ~

Crawling into bed, she plastered herself against Loki, who lay in Tony's arms.

"It would be so much easier if the two of you could hate me for what I have done."

"I did," Tony admitted, holding on to the god when he tried to scramble away. "After the battle of New York, through nights with too little sleep and too many nightmares I hated you with all my heart."

"Then why am I here?" The broken god whispered.

"Someone bigger and far worse than you happened." Pepper explained. "Someone who targeted me instead of anonymous civilians."

"Anger, fear and pain eat you up from the inside." Tony stated quietly. "They are less visible than bullets, arrows or shrapnel to the chest, but just as deadly. I decided to let go and started to get better."

"And you magically got better, all on your own?" Loki sneered.

"No," Tony chuckled, relieved because their god finally started to sound like himself again. "I had help, from the Avengers and my amazing girlfriend, but only because I let them. In the end it was my decision and mine alone. To let Obadiah and the ten rings win or to rise above all that."

After a few minutes of tense silence, Loki admitted, "I don't even know who I am any longer. Let alone anybody who would be willing to help me."

With a quiet smile, Pepper kissed his neck, assuring him. "It will come to you, but not tonight. Tonight you will sleep so that you are well rested tomorrow because you have a lot of cleaning up to do!"

"I'm sorry." Loki breathed. His wet words were barely audible since his face was pressed into Tony's arm to hide his embarrassment.

"It's alright." The engineer assured him, pulling him closer still since the god seemed to want to hide from the world. The relief to know that Loki still felt safe in his arms that, despite everything he had done, didn't shy away from him, was a comforting.

Pepper let Tony capture her hand when she caressed his face lovingly, placing a kiss on her palm before brushing over Loki's head to calm him as well. "Sleep now. Everything will be better tomorrow."

All three lay huddled together until the early hours of dawn. Only then did they drift off one by one.

~ ᗯ ~

Loki's first words the next morning were, "I'm very sorry about yesterday." When his humans looked at him bleary eyed, he explained. "Not for the destruction of my room. Well, I apologize for that too, but because I lost myself in memories, I could not even … neither of you found completion despite giving it to me."

Finally catching up, Tony mumbled tiredly. "Don't worry 'bout it. We'll try again," before rolling out of bed, heading for the shower. Though Loki had hoped for that, he had not really expected the engineer to be so calm about all this. Living his life had taught him one thing above all else: good things didn't happen to him and when they happened they did not last.

Turning around to face Virginia who seemed to study him, he inquired, "Why would you even try? We can never know where my mind goes. I could have hurt either of you severely."

Smiling with so much kindness that Loki felt the overwhelming need to avert his eyes, she simply told him, "Because you are worth it."

Swallowing around the rising emotion, Loki shook his head. "No, I'm not."

Brushing away the hair that obscured his face, Virginia kissed him softly. "To us, you are." Then she left the bed and followed Tony to the bathroom.

The dark-haired god lingered in their bed for a few more moments. Their scent was overwhelming and their lingering body-heat seeped into his bones. Maybe things could really be different on Midgard. Maybe he actually had the chance to change. Maybe these two humans could help him overcome the monster he was inside and he could be happy here. With them and his children. The outlook was too fantastic to truly believe it, even for a god. But that did not mean that it was not what he wished for with all his heart. Problem was: he was too afraid to hope.

~ ᗯ ~

After breakfast, Virginia and Tony left to care for Stark Industries and Loki returned to his room. For the first time he took in the destruction he had caused. The bed and the dresser had been blasted to pieces. Half of his wardrobe lay scattered and torn on the floor. With a relieved sigh, he noticed that at least his recently acquired leather trousers had survived the destruction. "JARVIS?"

_"Yes, Master Loki? How may I be of assistance?"_

"You have recorded all this?"

_"Indeed, I have. But Sir hasn't reviewed it so far. I don't think you need to concern yourself."_

Swallowing heavily, Loki instructed, "Make sure he does. It's better for him to know what I can do. That way he can prepare himself."

_"Prepare himself for what?"_

"The future."

After a few moments of tense silence Loki lifted his head towards a camera. "I would be grateful for a few bags or boxes. I think Tony would be displeased if I stored all this under the kitchen sink."

Tone turning from concerned to his usual dry wit, JARVIS stated, _"That would undoubtedly be a feat only achieved with a lot of magic."_

"Undoubtedly," Loki parroted hollowly, feeling the absence of mystical energies all the more prominent now that JARVIS had directed his attention towards it. A part of him had felt really good last night. To use his hard won resources so carelessly, expressing his anger through destruction and not giving thought to anything. But today he paid dearly for it. Not only because Virginia made him clean up after himself. That was fair. But because having no seiðr left made him feel painfully empty inside.

He busied himself by gathering his destroyed clothes and the moment he asked himself where to put them, a black garbage bag appeared in his peripheral vision. When he looked up he saw the Black Widow staring down at him. When he didn't move she shook the bag. "I don't have all day, you know."

"Yes, you do." Hawkeye contradicted, entering with more bags.

Thor and Steve were next, manoeuvring a big crate that barely fitted through the door to the middle of the room. Bruce was last, carrying work-gloves. When he noticed that nobody moved, he looked around somewhat uneasy, asking, "Why are we not cleaning up?"

Throwing the bags into an empty corner, Clint folded his arms and looked at Loki who was still kneeling in the middle of the room. "Because, crazy here, needs time to catch up."

At that well deserved insult, Loki staggered to his feet and backed into a corner. "What … what are you doing here?"

"Supporting you in the task the fair Lady Pepper gave you." Thor answered, slowly approaching his brother.

"But why?" Why would they care? Nobody ever supported a slave, certainly not with a punishment.

"Because you are family."

Raising his hands defensively, Loki shook his head. But before he could contradict his br… Thor, Hawkeye piped up again, letting out a long, suffering sigh. "Yes, you are. No matter how little I like it. You are carrying Tony's children. He invited you to live in the tower and Pepper let you stay. So just get over yourself and let us help. We might have all day, but I can imagine better things to do with my spare time than cleaning up after you. Now move it!"

And that was it. They all went to work. Steve and Thor dealt with the larger parts of furniture and Natasha and Clint with the debris. Bruce helped Loki to salvage anything not entirely destroyed and by midday the room was empty.

JARVIS delivered a bunch of sandwiches and sodas, courtesy of Pepper, who clearly thought of everything. Natasha was looking over Bruce's shoulder, who checked one of his experiments on his Stark-pad, and stated unexpectedly, "You should get a dresser just like mine."

At her gesture Bruce handed over the pad and she summoned a holographic image of a cabinet with numerous drawers and doors and 'pushed' it out of the tablet and into a holographic projection that filled the room. At her gesture, it slid against the wall beside the door. Looking between her and the glowing image, Loki rose to his feet and inspected the hologram.

Steve pulled the pad out of her hands and added, "And a lamp and a chair for reading in the other corner."

Smiling at the mortal's antics, Thor let Steve show him how the program was used before claiming the flat computer. "And you need a desk for your studies!"

"What about a bed?" Bruce, ever the practical one, summoned a huge, four-poster bed into the middle of the room, complete with virtual drapes.

"You guys are no fun!" Clint whined, struggling to nick the pad, leaning over Natasha and Steve to get to Bruce. With a few tabs of his fingers the bed had become a hemlock, the chair a comfortable sofa and the desk was changed into a Jacuzzi. "That's living the big life!"

At that point all stops were pulled. The Avengers challenged each other by summoning the most expensive or most hilarious furniture into Loki's room. Tony and Pepper were watching from her office with one eye, while discussing business.

After about half an hour later JARVIS injected, _"Sir, Miss Potts, it seems that Master Loki has made his choices."_

"Show us, JARVIS." Pepper instructed, since Tony had just stuffed his face with the last bites of his sandwich.

"Boring!" Was the billionaire's first comment around a sip of soda.

Grinning, Pepper went over their god's choices. "It's meant to suit him, not you!"

Manipulating the selection, choosing similar models from but one supplier and checking their availability, he whined. "Can't we at least make them red and gold?"

"No," Pepper decided, reviewing Tony's choices and approving them. "But we can order drapes and a comforter in gold and emerald."

"He needs a new carpet! You burned his."

Summoning a picture of the damage, she shook her head. "You're not buying a golden carpet. And this one is fine anyway. The damage is minor."

Relenting because he was well aware that he could never win against her, Tony sighed long suffering. "Alright, the furniture is ordered. Can I go now to play with the other kids? I promise I'll be nice."

"No! We are revising a business proposal and you will pay attention. Otherwise we will be here all day."

Grumbling Tony looked back at the papers. Personally he thought the offer to open a new site in South America stupid. But if Pepper deemed it worth his time, he could at least make the effort to look over it. She was rarely wrong.

~ ᗯ ~

The room was clean now and while Loki and Natasha were covering scrapes on the wall with paint that seemed to be white but was labelled 'eggshell', Bruce and Clint had fun experimenting with chemicals to remove the burn-stains from the carpet. Thor and Steve had been called away by JARVIS.

Inspecting a loose corner, where the carped bulged slightly, Bruce found a plastic package with a delicate, interwoven white chain and a yellow crystal, stuffed in an uncharacteristically wide gap between wall and floor. After Clint inspected the jewellery, they shrugged it off and folded the package together again carefully, putting it back where they had found it. Obviously Loki wanted to keep this a secret, but how much damage could he do with a necklace and a stone? No need to worry.

A commotion in the corridor made everybody look up. When they peeked out of the door, they found Steve and Thor juggling a long package. Several workers were following them, carrying boxes of various sizes. Spotting a picture on the side of one box, Natasha instructed. "Just lean them against the wall in the corridor. We will carry them in one by one."

"But we were paid to put them together as well, mam." A smart looking man piped up from behind Thor. He stopped his co-workers and proved that looks could be deceiving. "You better get out of the way, Lady, and let the professionals handle this."

Collectively, the Avengers took a step back.

Unfazed, she approached the young man and claimed the clipboard with the delivery papers. Calmly she looked over the goods and then signed off for them. Smiling sweetly, showing far too many teeth, she purred. "Professionals. Of course I understand. We wouldn't want a woman to do a man's job."

The young man shook his head empathically while reclaiming his clipboard. "That's not what I meant, Lady. We just …" Having checked her signature, he stopped mid-sentence and slowly looked up, noticing the other Avengers leaning against the corridor and one dark-haired god right behind Natasha in the doorway, glowering at him. Slowly he swallowed around a suddenly parched throat. "I …," he tried again, squeaky and afraid. "We will go now?"

Stepping up to him, slowly pushing his pen into the breast-pocket of his jacket, Natasha smiled and agreed softly, "Excellent decision."

Clint fist-bumped her when the workers fled the scene. "How did you sign?"

"I didn't. I doodled a black spider." Looking over her shoulder she grinned at Steve. "Watching you draw finally paid off."

Rubbing his neck embarrassed, as always when someone mentioned his art, Steve protested, "You are not supposed to look at the pictures before they are finished!"

Gesturing for Clint and Thor to carry in the first box, she smiled cheekily. "And how am I supposed to learn how to draw a black widow?"

"I could teach you."

"My way is more fun."

Rolling his eyes because he knew that he had no chance to win this argument, Steve looked at the ceiling. "JARVIS, we might need tools to assemble the furniture. Do you think Tony would allow us to borrow some from the workshop?"

_"I have no doubt, Captain Rogers. But I would suggest you use the toolbox Sir keeps on this floor for convenience. It's stored in the cupboard under the kitchen-sink."_

Retrieving the metal toolbox, Steve wanted to check it, before heading off. Tony has a habit of not cleaning his tools when he used them. He was surprised to find everything spotless.

At his startled noise, JARVIS observed, _"You seem surprised, Captain."_

"Well, it's just … Tony usually just leaves his tools lying around in the workshop haphazardly. He never cleans anything. Here, everything seems so polished."

_"In the workshop Sir has Dummy, Butterfingers and U to take care of his tools and the clean-up. Up here he has no one."_

"The bots clean?" Steve asked surprised.

_"Of course,"_ JARVIS answered in a slightly surprised tone. _"What did you think their purpose?"_

Shrugging slightly uncomfortable, he admitted, "To keep Tony company, to be honest."

Tony had only had three people in his life he had trusted after his parents' death. That one of them had proven to be a ruthless bastard, ready to kill him for money, had only made his distrust of others worse. Sometimes Steve could see the lonely boy Tony Stark had been shining through the cracks in his armour. Since he rarely saw the bots doing anything handy, he had just thought them to be around because his friend didn't like being alone. Shaking his head, Steve smiled at himself. "Tony does seem like the type of person to collect strays when they are useful. But I should have known that he would never build something without a purpose."

Before he could enter Loki's room again, JARVIS soft tone made him hesitate. _"Captain Rogers, if you would allow me, I would like to correct one of your misconceptions about Sir."_

Eager to know where this was going, Steve stopped and looked up.

_"Sir couldn't care less about 'strays' as you called it. He is too egocentric for that. However, he is tremendously protective of those he perceives as his friends and since he currently has a very limited number of them, namely the people in this corridor, Miss Potts and Colonel Rhodes, he rests easier when he knows them safe and well cared for."_

Looking up, Steve found the other Avengers and Loki looking at him. They all seemed as surprised as he was at JARVIS revelation.

"He's tracking us, isn't he?" Bruce asked softly because that seemed like the logical consequence of what Tony's AI had just told them.

_"Indeed, he does, Doctor Banner."_

"How?" Clint demanded to know.

_"I'm afraid I am not at liberty to discuss that. But I can assure you that none of the trackers are traceable and from the tests Sir has conducted they are virtually undetectable."_

"Is this tracker the reason you found me so swiftly two weeks ago, when the office building tumbled down on me." Thor pondered.

_"Indeed, Master Thor."_

For a few moments nobody said a word, too wrapped up in the implications of what JARVIS had just revealed. For such a long time they all had been on their own. Now, someone cared about them. Not because it was his duty or because they were working for him.

As expected, Natasha was the first to brush off the lingering sentiment. "Come on guys. I don't want to be here until midnight."

Like everybody else, Loki was lost in his own thoughts, at least until they opened the first box. "That's the cupboard you showed me at lunch."

Shrugging, she replied, "You liked it."

Narrowing his eyes at her, the dark haired god left and inspected the other boxes. "You set me up!" He accused, when entering the room again.

"Nope," Clint contradicted him. "Tony did. We were merely willing tools at his disposal."

"Why?" The god wanted to know.

Smiling inwardly, congratulating the billionaire on his approach, Steve gently put a hand on Loki's shoulder to calm the god down. He was considerably more mindful of his strength than Thor and Loki felt himself relaxing slightly. "You needed new furniture. Why not let you chose it for yourself?"

Nodding faintly, unsure about how to reply, Loki watched them picking up the frame of the dresser, looking at him expectantly. When he gestured at the wall behind the door, Thor and Steve moved it carefully, mindful of the drying paint Loki and Natasha had applied earlier.

The desk was next and for the first time they realized that it might have actually been better to let the professionals handle the assembling of the furniture. Not that any of them would ever admit to that. When Loki pulled the instructions from Thor's fingers after his brother had turned them over for the third time, he studied them for a few moments. Not harder than deciphering a new spell. Just a little more 'hands on'.

"Pick up this plate and place it over there. The holes should face the ceiling. Spread out the screws and bolts under the window and sort them by size; the wooden appliances as well. Place the largest boards next to the desktop."

Only when they were half way through completing the desk did Loki realize that the Avengers had followed his directions with neither complaint nor hesitation. Maybe change actually wasn't such a far-fetched dream for him. These people certainly seemed to believe that he wouldn't lead them astray, even if it was only in something as simple as assembling a desk.

~ ᗯ ~

"Knock, Knock"

Tony in the doorway made everybody look up from their respective tasks. As expected he was wearing one of his business suits like the major share-holder of Stark Industries should. The effect of his business-persona was somewhat diminished by the stack of pizza boxes he was carrying. "This is coming along nicely." He started, only to interrupt himself with a wide grin, turning on his heel and fleeing the scene.

To be fair, it would have needed a far greater man than Tony Stark to stand his ground when the present humans, super-humans and gods started to scent the air and then charge as one. He bounded around the corner in the living room, laughing, hiding behind Pepper who was currently spreading napkins, cutlery and soda on the couch-table.

When everybody was crowding Tony, who had mounted one of his cupboards, she cleared her throat. "Of course you will all wash your hands before dinner. And please Tony, stop climbing the furniture."

They all looked at each other like scolded children and left for various bathrooms and the kitchen. Even Tony jumped down, appearing ruefully. "How do you do that? How are you the only person whose instructions the Avengers follow without even a token-protest?"

Smiling she kissed his cheek, taking the pizza boxes from him. "Because they know that I'm the only sane person in this tower who has their best interest at heart."

~ ᗯ ~

When Loki lay between Virginia and Tony that night, he didn't feel cornered but protected. These two went to such great lengths to make him comfortable and he had nothing to repay them. True, it had been his plan all along: to find sanctuary on Midgard, endear the humans to him so that they could act as his protectors, or at least as the protectors of his children. But he could have never imagined the efforts they were willing to make for him.

He shivered slightly when he recalled the last weeks with the dark-elf. Loki had rarely seen the light of day, not counting the narrow beams of sunlight that had fallen through the slits in the dungeon-walls. He had not moved, aside from crawling from and to the table his master had enjoyed tying him to, before raping him.

In the end he had been too scared for the well-being of his children to risk further punishment. The fallen god had tried to shut off his mind, to imagine different places, different worlds just to escape for a few blessed moments. But his master had proven cunning and cruel. Whenever he had felt Loki drifting away, he had inflicted pain or pleasure. He had held him on the edge of orgasm or choked him to force him back into his own body. The god had not known how to deal any longer. He had lost all sensations beyond pain and pleasure.

When the Asgardian guards had finally retrieved him, he had barely been able to crawl, let alone walk. Only a day in the dungeons of Asgard had brought him back to himself enough to hatch the plan of naming Iron Man as the father of his children. Without this day of reprieve, he would surely have been lost.

Loki had not even realized that he started crying until a huge sob shook his entire frame. How many little coincidences had played out in his favour for him to be here? How benevolent of these humans to overlook all of his mistakes and still invite him into their bed.

When he tried to turn away, unable to face the goodness of them, both Tony and Pepper only held him tighter. They did not offer meaningless words of comfort. They were just there and in the safety of their arms Loki was finally able to let go.

Over an hour he cried and when the tears finally dried, no one said a word. That night he vowed to do everything in his power to keep these humans safe and spare them from ever finding out about the monster he truly was. Maybe he could forget himself, if he only tried hard enough. Maybe this world really meant peace.

~ ᗯ ~


	19. Nothing is ever easy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here come the babies and the Winter Soldier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many things about the aftermath of Loki giving birth to the twins may seem strange to you, especially if you gave birth the natural way. They are, however, written from experience (my experience in this case) because giving birth to my son was far from easy. The beginning of the next chapter will enlighten you on what has happened exactly with our dark haired god.

Regrettably not everything went according to Loki's plan. Oh, he was on his best behaviour after his breakdown. He was supportive and subservient when the situation called for it; however rarely that happened. At the same time he did not hesitate to cheekily contradict Tony, when the engineer headed in the wrong direction during their work. By now, they had completed two prototypes that would enable a steady communication between Asgard and Midgard. Since Thor spent more and more time in the golden palace, he was a willing test subject.

A modified arc-reactor served as power core for the mobiles that accepted Loki's magic. At least the small amounts he had to offer. That made the phones the most expensive and unwieldy communication devices on the planet. But Tony couldn't care less. He was far too excited about being able to establish trans-dimensional communication.

Though Loki really wanted to share the engineer's joy, he could not muster the energy.  Six months had passed since he had come to earth and his pregnancy was prominent by now. Dr. Banner had assured him that, despite their accelerated development, his babies were in excellent health. The god lived for the moments where he could see his children, snuggled together in mid-air. These precious minutes made him forget all the back-pain and the fatigue he had suffered on a daily basis for the last two months.

~ ᗯ ~

Another day, another phone. Loki could barely hold on to his Aesir form. Today he woke up and his fingers and legs had been blue. Aware that his body needed seiðr to change and prepare for birth, he had drowned his panic in a scorching shower. He needed to hold on to the transformation at all costs. The thought that Virginia or Tony would see what he really was, was too horrible to contemplate.

Long pants covered legs that simply refused to turn from blue to pink again and it was only with focused effort that he was able to keep his hands humanlike in appearance. He wished that he could tell Tony 'No', when the engineer asked for another burst of magic. Share that he had no energy left to spare. But the sparkling eyes of his human made it impossible for Loki to disappoint him.

On his very first day in the tower, he had vowed himself and his magic at Tony's service. As a god, he was bound to that promise. Of course his human wouldn't demand he exhaust himself, but he always asked for so little. Taking in the engineer's excitement, Loki decided that he could do Tony this small favour. The billionaire had done so much for him, given him a room, a home, safety and the feeling that he was wanted and cared for. Loki was a god and a sorcerer. He could summon this small spark to make the man happy!

Once the spell was complete, Loki did not even have time to mourn his miscalculation, because the darkness that pulled him under overwhelmed his senses within a heartbeat.

~ ᗯ ~

Yes, of course Tony had noticed that Loki got more and more tired. Yet he had written that off to him being twelve months pregnant, from the looks of it. He shut down all the big projects when the god was around and built an ergonomic chair that would provide the perfect support for the pregnant god's back and feet. He made extra-sure that DUM-E always had healthy smoothies at hand to keep up with the nutritional needs of a pregnant person. And despite all these safety measures, he now had his arms full of a dark-haired god who had fainted unexpectedly.

"JARVIS, I need Bruce!"

_"Doctor Banner is at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in Washington, Sir. He had been there all week."_

"What about Steve?" Tony wasn't exactly sure why the next person on his list was Steve Rogers since the soldier was no medic. Maybe because the Captain, once getting over his initial aggravation with the situation, had always been the most level-headed person when it came to Loki.

_"Captain Rogers and Agent Romanov are in DC as well."_

Grunting with the effort, he carried Loki to the sofa and laid him down. Blowing out a sigh in frustration, Tony ran his fingers through his hair. He didn't even realize that Clint had entered the workshop until the archer stood right behind him. "JARVIS said you need help."

One of these days Tony would shove a bell up Hawkeye's ass, just to keep him from sneaking up on him like that.

"Loki fainted," Tony explained unnecessarily.

"Aha."

Clint didn't like the dark-haired god and Tony couldn't fault him for that, considering the hell Loki had put the archer through. But right now, Clint's 'devil-may-care'-attitude was the last straw on his back. "If you don't even care, fuck the hell off, Barton! I know you hate him but … but …"

Looking into the dark, panicking eyes of his friend, Clint folded his arms over his chest, looking down at the engineer and his god. Grumpily he admitted, "I don’t hate him. Not anymore. I don't particularly like him, but that's beside the point. **You**  are my friend, Tony, so tell me what do you need?"

Looking between the archer and the pale, unconscious god, Tony whispered, "Bruce, I need Bruce."

"Alright," Clint nodded. "JARVIS, prepare the jet."

_"As you wish, Agent Barton."_

~ ᗯ ~

With Tony's jet, the flight from New York to Washington shouldn't take more than forty minutes. Then Clint had to locate Bruce. Would Bruce even come along? The project he was working on seemed very important if he stayed at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters for an entire week. Maybe a pregnant person fainting was nothing out of the ordinary. Tony simply didn't know. He had neglected to read up on all the issues pregnant women could come across because Bruce had advised him against it. He would only make himself crazy, his friend had warned him, handing over parental guides and 'What to expect when expecting'. Tony had trusted him.

DUM-E rolled over with a blanket and the engineer started to remove Loki's boots to make him more comfortable. The god's socked feet felt like ice, so Tony wrapped him in the blanket and piled several pillows over them. Rubbing the pale god's hands, Tony tried to get him to drink something by wetting his lips with a ice chips he had chopped off the cubes in his freezer.

Clint re-entered the workshop exactly seventy-five minutes after his departure. Bruce followed, wearing slightly torn clothes. Relieved and tremendously grateful, Tony wanted to explain what had happened, but the green tint of Bruce's eyes made him hesitate. "What's wrong?"

"Don't worry about it," the doctor soothed. "How's Loki?"

Covering his friend's trembling fingers, Tony looked at Clint but the archer only shrugged. "I don't know. Something is cooking in DC and it smells foul. Sitwell didn't want Bruce to leave. Tried to sell us whimsical excuses and only relented when our good doctor was half way to hulking out."

Clenching his fingers, Tony kept his voice neutral, "Steve and Natasha are in DC."

"And probably right in the middle of whatever is happening."

Everything in Hawkeye demanded from him to go and look for after his friends, but Tony needed him here.

The billionaire could see how torn his friend was, but he was simply unable to be the bigger man and tell him to go. They didn't even know if Clint would be safe there. Alright, stupid argument, but still. "JARVIS, direct all available resources to the spy-floor. I want you to hack traffic cameras, mobiles, government agencies and everything in between. Whatever Clint needs, you provide."

It was a peace offering, the next best thing short of telling the archer to go after their friends. Neither of them knew if Hawkeye being airborne would do them any good. Clint accepted with a knowing smile and vanished.

Bruce, now considerably calmer, asked confused, "Was Loki burning up and you gave him ice?"

Shaking his head, puzzled at the question, Tony simply stated, "No, I think he was freezing."

"Then why are there droplets of ice-water on his collar?"

"What?"

~ ᗯ ~

Loki was back in his own bed, a rare occurrence after the 'remodelling' of his room. The temperature was as low as comfortable, only a few degrees away from Tony and Bruce seeing their own breath. The god lay on top of his comforter. His body was a combination of pink and blue. The closer the skin was to the collar, the less prominent the blue. Clearly Loki's Jotun heritage was trying to take over.

"He's transforming." Bruce explained. "His body is changing so that he can give birth naturally. But I can't even fathom the amount of magic necessary for that."

Tony lay beside his god, bundled up in warm jeans and a thick pullover. "So you are basically telling me that his body needs more magic than the collar lets him generate."

"Most likely." Bruce nodded. "But I'm not a sorcerer. This is all guesswork."

"Then we'll get it off." Tony decided, barging out the door towards his lab.

When he returned with the remote fifteen minutes later, a storm was brewing. "Thor said to place the remote at the back of the collar and then the opening sequence should reveal itself." He didn't tell Bruce about the argument he had just had with Thor. How the god had told him to leave the collar alone, because any tampering would most likely result in a small army of Asgardian guards storming the tower.  Yet Tony wouldn't care anyway. Loki needed his magic so that's what he would get. The billionaire was just grateful that Pepper was currently in South America to finalize the plans for the new plant.

With Bruce's help they turned Loki to his side and Tony carefully placed the remote in the intended slots. It immediately started to glow but no shut-off sequence revealed itself.

 Tony was trading a helpless look with Bruce when Thor appeared in the doorway, out of breath and unravelled. "Tony, you must not …!"  
His words stuck in his throat when the two humans shifted, revealing the still body of a pregnant god where magic fought magic. Drawing a shivering breath, Thor approached his brother. He dared to touch him only with the tip of his fingers before he pulled back as if he had burned himself. Brokenly he whispered, "Loki will never forgive me if I let you see him in his Jotun-form."

Tony rose at that and reached for the Thundergod's arm. They had come such a long way since Loki's arrival. Tony had long since forgiven Thor his lack of support for his brother, because he had seen how much the golden-haired god grieved over his own mistakes. So he felt secure when he told his friend, "Then let him. Let him despise you, me, the whole damn universe. We have been there. We have dealt with that. And we will do so again as long as he is alive!"

Supporting his science-brother, Bruce implored, "Look at him, Thor. His magic is fighting him. I don't know how long he can take this, he and the babies. They are ready to be born. Have been for over a month but Loki's body is not ready. Please, help us!"

When Thor nodded hesitantly and stepped closer to the headboard, Tony held him back one more time. "Let me do it. I'm his master after all. He's my responsibility."

Finally giving in, Thor explained the sequence that lit up the remote, when it was inserted into the collar anew. Once the offensive device was off, they shifted Loki to his back again. For several long minutes nothing happened.

"It should be working," Tony choked. "Why isn't it working, Bruce?"

The doctor, who had refrained from pacing the room like his agitated friend, had looked at his patient, so he was able to assure Tony, "But it is. Look at him, Tony. He is turning blue!"

And really, inch by inch the transformation crawled over Loki's skin until he was completely Jotun and cold to the touch. When the god took a deep breath, arching off the bed, an ice-cloud formed over his lips until he sagged back, falling into a deep and restful slumber.

~ ᗯ ~

Lightning lit the sky when JARVIS requested Tony's attention. He had been tinkering with his case-suit, ever since Loki had fallen asleep, preparing for extra-terrestrial visitors. _"Captain Rogers wants to speak to you. It seems urgent."_

Despite the gold light on the balcony, Tony nodded. "Patch him through." He adjusted his bracelets while adding, "And please tell the others that we have guests of the celestial kind."

"Tony, I could really use your help in Washington." The sound of Steve's bike and several explosions made Tony flinch. Still, he couldn't leave right now.

"Captain, I have a small army of Asgardian guards on my balcony. And they don't look like they are here for baking Thursday."

Always the team-leader, Steve demanded to know, "What happened?"

"We took off Loki's collar. The magic dampener was hurting him and possibly the babies." Fighting with himself, Tony offered, "I'll sent Bruce and Hawkeye with the jet?" He couldn't live with himself if Nat and Steve got hurt because he couldn't be there.

The line got quieter for a moment, before Steve decided, "No, they'll stay with you. Nat and I will deal with this."

"Steve, I …"

"No," Captain America interrupted him. "Keep Loki and the rest of our family safe. The Black Widow and I will deal with S.H.I.E.L.D.!"

"What about S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Tony asked absent minded, relieved that Bruce, Clint and Thor had just entered his floor. But Steve didn't reveal anything else. "Never mind, keep everybody in the tower safe, Tony. We'll call if we need anything."

In the meantime the Asgardians had entered the living room and informed Tony, "We are here to apprehend the war criminal Loki."

"May I ask why?" Tony sassed, aiming for nonchalance. "We just got him housebroken."

The head-guard however didn't seem to have any sense of humour. "You removed his collar. A slave is bound to have a collar. He's too dangerous otherwise."

"Really? I distinctively remember you telling me, regarding both slave and collar, to 'use them however I see fit'. JARVIS, why don't you juggle our friend's memory a little?"

A holographic image appeared mid-air. Tony's floor and the workshop were the only areas in the tower where video-feeds were accompanied by audio. So they saw Loki's arrival playing out before their eyes. Once it was over, Tony asked, "Do you deny saying these words?"

"No," The guard replied stoically. "Still, Loki is too dangerous to allow him to remain on Midgard unrestricted."

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Tony demanded, inching closer to his suit. "Since Loki is mine for the foreseeable future, that's my problem and mine alone."

"You're risking the safety of your realm for but one slave?"

Growling Tony stepped into his armour and approached the guy while it closed around him. "I am one of the defenders of this realm. That's why this whole mess came to my doorstep in the first place! And if you don't want to fight me and my friends, I suggest you leave."

A little helpless the guard gazed at Thor. "My prince, what is your command?"

Yet, Thor stepped to Tony's side, clenching Mjolnir. "This is the realm of the humans and the Allfather entrusted my brother to Anthony Stark's care. So until he proves himself unworthy of this trust, I suggest you obey Odin's judgement and leave him be."

~ ᗯ ~

When they were looking at the empty balcony moments later, Thor admitted, "I was not convinced that would work."

"Lucky for us that it did. I would have hated to run rampant in the tower," Bruce sighed relieved.

Clint grinned. "Don't worry, doc. I had a few of my 'bedtime'-arrows at hand." When the others looked at him scandalized the archer shrugged. "What? These people are gods! I couldn't risk anything else if I wanted to be able to drop them."

Stepping out of his armour, Tony looked at his friends. "Thank you."

Then the screaming started.

~ ᗯ ~

Holding Loki down by his shoulders, once again grateful that Thor was around to help, Tony shouted over Loki's agonized screams. "What the hell is going on, Bruce?"

"I don't know!" The doctor hissed. "Hold him still so I can check!"

Clint reached for Loki's second shoulder to support Tony, pressing it down on the bed while enclosing his wrist in a vice-grip. "Trying, doc. You might want to hurry, he grows colder by the minute."

Efficiently Bruce was examining his patient. After a few moments he flinched back and shook his head. After taking a few, calming breathes, he prompted, "Let him go."

"Are you …," Tony started, but Bruce only reached for his friends shoulder and pulled him back. One by one they let go and the less pressure was applied, the calmer the god became.

When they looked at Bruce confused, he explained, "After a visit form the Hulk my body his hypersensitive. Loki's body is changing. As far as I can tell he's developing female traits so that he can give birth naturally. Yet the process seems to be strenuous and painful. We shouldn't aggravate him any more than necessary."

"Is that a sound diagnosis or are you guessing?" Clint inquired since Tony seemed reluctant to ask.

Dropping his head, rubbing his hands over his face, Bruce admitted, "Mostly I'm guessing. Loki's my first pregnant, male god, you know!"

Ever supportive, Thor patted Bruce's back, assuring him, "I think you are doing a very good job, my friend."

Loki lay huddled around his enormous belly, whimpering on occasion. Tony tried to sooth him by brushing over his head with but the faintest touch. It seemed to help, if only marginally. "You're trying your best, Bruce. I know that. I just wish we could do more."

Grateful for the vote of confidence, Bruce never dealt well with disappointing his friends, the doctor recalled, "Sigrun said that we have to have faith in Loki. You gave him back his magic. Now we have to trust that this is enough and that he will manage the rest on his own."

~ ᗯ ~

Tony rarely left Loki's side after that. The god had turned completely blue and ice-cold, nearly untouchable. But after a day and two nights his temperature stabilized. He was still a few degrees colder than the average human, but at least touching him didn't give any of them frostbite any longer. His skin stayed a washed out blue, his markings all the more prominent against such a pale background. When Bruce checked his eyes, they turned out to be a dull red, barely responsive.

After three days by Loki's side, Tony was ushered away by Clint, who claimed his place with his favourite bow and dinner. Sure that he wouldn't find rest that night, Tony took a much needed shower and went to his workshop. It was about ten in the evening but the engineer was neither hungry nor tired. His friends had brought him sandwiches and soup. Surely that was enough. Loki wasn't eating at all. Around midnight it became apparent that his friends had called for reinforcements because a travel worn Pepper entered, shut down his projects, forced an entire meal on him and then pulled him to bed. Tony was asleep before his head even hit the pillow.

When he shuffled into the kitchen around noon the next day, he found all inhabitants of the tower in front of the TV. Thunderstruck they watched how Steve and Natasha and a black man with metal wings got their asses handed to them by a warrior with a metal arm.

Bruce was taking deep breathes and Clint's fingers were closing around his bow rhythmically.

"Go!" Tony prompted him, already directing JARVIS over his phone to prepare the jet.

But the archer shook his head. "Can't. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s been compromised. Hydra's taking over."

"All the more reason to help them!" Iron Man urged. Yet once again Hawkeye denied him. "S.H.I.E.L.D. has been infiltrated by Hydra for decades. Nobody knows whom to trust. Nat decided that we are safest here, together."

Cautiously, Bruce inquired, "And you think that's wise?"

There were tons of unspoken subtext loaded into that question, yet once the transmission ended, Clint rose from the couch and looked at his friends. "I trust Natasha and I think we can all be sure without the shadow of doubt that Steve isn't Hydra either. So until we receive different orders, we do as they say: We stay here and keep each other safe. Any objections?"

When nobody contradicted him, Pepper rose. "Check with security. Make sure the upper floors are secure."

"You do not trust your own guards?" Thor inquired, but Pepper only sighed. "The people I trust are either in this room or in Washington D.C. Let's make sure Steve and Natasha have a home to return to."

~ ᗯ ~

Tony was torn between worrying for Loki and his friends. Clint was on top of the intel but refused to share, so Tony would not worry. Their friends had everything under control, or so the archer assured him, and they would only endanger their 'mission' by intervening without being instructed.

Heli-carriers fell from the sky the day Loki went into labour. The god had not woken since his collar had been removed but apparently a week had been long enough for him to change sufficiently to give birth. He regained consciousness now and then, but was not lucid enough to follow Bruce's instructions on his breathing.

Thor sat behind his brother on the bed, since Loki had nearly broken Tony's fingers during the first contraction. Once more it worked in their favour that the tower had its own infirmary. When Jarvis notified them about several intruders in the upper levels, both Tony and Thor cursed a blue streak. But Clint calmed them from the observation room, "I will take care of them, you take care of Loki."

Torn between supporting his brother and protecting him, Thor tried to get up from the bed. "You can't succeed on your own, my friend. I will aid you."

Pepper put an end to this attempt when she entered the observation room in a black body-suit Tony had designed for her. It was able to withstand heat of several hundred degrees and was bullet proof of course. She was currently slipping an arc-reactor over her chest while JARVIS enclosed her hand with a gauntlet. "He won't be alone. You three take care of this and I will help Clint to deal with whoever is invading our home!"

Looking at each other, Bruce sent Thor and Tony on their way with a barely encouraging, "You've got two minutes tops before the next contraction."

They barely needed ninety seconds before the case-suit and Mjolnir stood outside of their door. One minute, fifty seconds and Thor had his arms around his brother again and Tony provided ice-chips and continuing caresses to comfort his dark-haired god when the next wave of pain hit him.

Though Tony would have preferred a run-down commentary, but on Pepper's instruction, JARVIS refused to share anything but floors breached and won back. When the intruders were one level from the infirmary and Bruce's eyes developed a green tint, Tony instructed, "JARVIS, quit the comments. Just tell us when to suit up."

Fortunately, Clint and Pepper seemed to be on top of the situation, because JARVIS didn't say anything beyond a final 'All Clear' the moment Loki started to push. His pained whimpers had stopped and for the first time in five days he seemed lucid. His eyes were locked with Tony's when he gave birth to a beautiful baby-girl and then a small boy whose easily lungs matched his larger sister's.

The new father was in a daze when he removed his shirt, as Bruce had instructed, and lay down in the next room. Thor was the one who brought his beautiful, gorgeous, perfect babies and placed them on Tony's chest. Never before had the engineer seen his friend handle anything with such delicacy and care. His niece and nephew seemed beyond precious to him.

The twins were cold and their skin of the most brilliant blue Tony had ever seen. Their hair was a shiny raven and their eyes shone like rubies. He barely dared to touch them, but when his girl opened her mouth to capture his pinkie, when he caressed her face, and started to suckle on it, a sob escaped him. His baby-boy just snuggled his chest before a wide yawn interrupted the gesture. Tenderly Tony leaned down and kissed his head. A gnawing on his finger told him that his girl didn't like to be left out of these affections. When he kissed her too, brushing away tears that once again overwhelmed him, he found both of his children looking at him.

Lovingly he whispered, "Don't worry, I won't allow anything happen to you. You and your dad are absolutely safe here. You can go to sleep now. Everything is alright, my little angels."

Without the shadow of doubt, this was the most amazing moment in his life. And then magic happened.  
Pressed tight to his chest Maree and Jason slowly turned human.

~ ᗯ ~

Whispers woke Tony from a light doze and instinctively he closed his arms protectively around his children. He opened his eyes when he heard Pepper chuckling quietly. She seemed drained, her suit was torn at some places and there was ash on her arms and face. Yet her eyes shone like stars when she looked down at them.

Never before had the genius thought himself capable of feeling so much love. Pepper had been the centre of his universe for so many years, and though she still was, there was so much more now. True, he still would burn the world for her, but his children were … not more important, just … different and all encompassing. He had not even noticed the calming caresses he used on them when they started to fuss on his chest, too lost in these overwhelming new emotions that seemed to fill his entire being.

As always, Pepper understood all too easily, just from the look in his eyes. Lovingly she kissed Tony before she asked, "Don't you want to introduce us?"

The newly minted father beamed at his partner but shook his head. "Not before you wash up."

Three minutes later, everybody had gathered at his bedside, polished to a shine. Smiling proudly, Tony pulled away the blanket and introduced, "Lady and gentleman, I hereby grant you the honour of meeting Maree Lokisdottir Stark and Jason Lokisson Stark."

Tears welled up in Pepper's eyes, when she picked up Maree. She kissed the baby-girl before handing her over to Thor, who looked at his niece like she had hung the moon and the stars. Quietly, she whispered, "She is beautiful, Tony."

She treated Jason with the same, loving care before offering him to Clint, who gazed at the boy in wonder. "He looks like a miniature version of Loki, only with darker eyes." The archer decided before promising the boy a million cool toys once he could hold them.

Pepper crawled onto the bed and sat beside Tony. Kissing her adoringly, Tony returned to scrutinizing his friends and how they were handling his babies. "Jason might look like his father, but he won’t have his life. There will never be a moment of doubt in both of their hearts that they are loved and wanted and precious. They will have to deal with Stark Industries, and a public who watches them with hawk’s eyes for being the children of a god and a mortal. They will be one of a kind and only the best will ever be good enough for them."

"The children of Loki Silvertongue and Anthony Stark will be a walking menace before the year is over," Pepper chuckled. "With the two of you as fathers, how could they be anything else? Stop planning their future, Tony, and enjoy the present. Who knows what will happen tomorrow?"

The day of their birth had been marked by chaos. Pepper was absolutely right, Tony did not want to think about tomorrow. He would enjoy today and his beautiful, little angels.

When he remembered them to be the offspring of a sorcerer, he became giddy with the countless ways in which their gifts could show. Deciding to test that theory, Tony reached for blue scrubs that were stored in all the rooms and lay down again, making grabby hands at his children. "Gimme!"

When Thor and Clint handed them over, he kissed their heads again. "Alright now. Your dad is this really brilliant, powerful sorcerer and I know the two of you can turn into humans. What I want you to do now is to turn back Jotun. Can you do that for me, Maree, Jason? Can you turn blue for daddy, just this once?"

Gently he made their hands touch and placed them on his chest. For several seconds nothing happened and Clint, Thor and Pepper looked at him slightly worried. But then, all of a sudden, Jason started to change and when he was blue, Maree transformed as well.

Tony showered his children with praises and kisses and beamed at his friends. Pepper and Clint mirrored his smile, but Thor had paled and taken a step back. Fearfully he whispered, "My brother will not like this."

Yet before Tony could say anything, Pepper had put her hand on the twins' backs protectively, glowering at Thor. "Loki will learn to overcome the useless prejudice he has harboured against his own race and if you want to be part of Maree and Jason's life you better do the same."

Paling Thor looked at her and nodded slowly. "Yes, yes of course, Lady Pepper. I'm sorry, I just … I'll go and see how my brother fares."

"Several thousand years old and still a racist," Clint stated drily, claiming a place at the end of the bed, caressing the twins marks with uttermost gentleness. Jason seemed to enjoy that because he chuckled and curled his little toes. Maree clearly preferred to have her head caressed by Pepper since she started whining the moment the woman pulled back her hand.

Closing his eyes, placing a caring hand on his children's chubby butts, Tony asked. "Have we heard anything from Natasha and Steve?"

Clint pressed his lips together and shook his head. "No, and with everything going on here, I have not even checked up on them."

 _"Sir, if I may?"_ JARVIS asked out of the blue. When Tony nodded, the AI shared, _"It appears that, in an attempt to dismantle Hydra, Agent Romanov and Captain Rogers have decided to reveal the entire S.H.I.E.L.D. database to the world wide web."_

"What?"

"What the fuck?"

"Language, Barton! Babies are present," Tony admonished before gesturing for JARVIS to continue.

_"Sadly I was not able to intervene right from the beginning, but after one-point-seven seconds I managed to upload a filter for most things related to Stark Industries and Iron Man."_

"Great," Clint sneered, albeit quietly. "We're all out in the open but at least your money is safe!"

Coldly, Pepper corrected him, "This is not about money, Clint." But Tony interrupted her, by gently placing a hand on her leg. He could easily see, how much a spy had to loose when he was revealed to the world. Still Hawkeye and Black Widow could do tons of good as Avengers. "It's about our equipment. Sure, the wold knows everything there was to know about you. But your arrows can still kill the bad guys when they don't know where they are coming from."

Deflating against the bed, Clint rubbed his head. It was unfair to shout at Tony, especially since the billionaire could not be less involved in all this. The archer opened his eyes again when Tony nudged him with his foot. "Take Thor and the jet and get them. We'll figure out where to go from here when everybody is safe and we had a chance to review the data."

Slowly Clint nodded and rose. The need to have Nat back safely was overwhelming. Still, the archer stopped at the door and smiled for a heartbeat. "Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"Congratulations."

"Thank you. And now buzz off and bring our friends home."

~ ᗯ ~


	20. Deception and Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn a lot of things about the Avengers and babies. Also we will shed a little light on how Loki is doing at the moment.  
> Oh, and also: babies, absolutely brilliant, special, magical babies!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I'm sleeping in on Saturday or am extremely busy, I'm return to updating on Friday. Enjoy :).

Despite JARVIS filter, tons of data had made it to the net. So Pepper had to leave, despite wanting nothing more than to get to know every hair on the babies' heads. But it was Tony's job to take care of them and her job to take care of Stark Industries. Security personal had to be screened and firewalls had to be reprogrammed to ensure the safety of the former weapons manufacturer. Who knew how much information was actually out there?

Finally able to get some rest, Tony mostly stayed in bed with the twins. The occasional diaper change had him **that** close to reprogramming DUM-E to do it for him. But since he barely trusted his bot with a fire extinguisher, having him change the babies was not an option for now. So the engineer, who had created Iron Man, fought valiantly with a few sets of diapers and wrestled two onesies into compliance.

A useless attempt as it turned out, since his children made it very clear, very fast that they would do without clothes, thank you very much. Meaning they cried until Tony peeled them out of their outfits again. Not long before midnight, Pepper returned with a worried looking Bruce by her side. "Loki is barely responsive," she shared and the doctor added, "He was weak to begin with, and he lost a lot of blood when giving birth. I had to stop some pretty heavy internal bleeding. He's stable for now and I assume his energies are needed for healing. But if he doesn't wake up tomorrow, we have to get him to a hospital."

"No," Tony decided. "Whatever you need to treat him, whoever you need to support you, get them here! When Loki arrived he made only one request: for his babies to be taken care off. No matter the circumstances, I want him to wake up in the tower, close to his children, knowing that he is still safe with us!"

Nodding, Pepper turned around. "Just tell me what you need and I will get it for you, Bruce. We'll deal with this together, right here where it’s safest."

Pondering over his options, Bruce suggested, "Maybe the twins will help him to snap out of it. They need to be fed anyway." The doctor had only examined them briefly after birth. If he was surprised that they looked human, he didn't mention it. Maybe Thor had shared the story about their transformation already. He still seemed reluctant to pick them up. So Pepper took Maree while Tony carried Jason, sharing that they were meeting their dad, who was a little sick but seeing him and Maree would surely make him better.

Instincts seemed to take over when they placed the babies on Loki's chest. Tony and Pepper were hovering but the twins seemed to connect with their father easily. They turned blue when their skins touched and latched onto his nipples to feed. Content little noises indicated their satisfaction. Sadly the god remained unresponsive. When Maree and Jason had drunken their fill, they started whimpering until Pepper and Tony picked them up to burp them. Afterwards they just snuggled with their respective humans and fell asleep. Lovingly kissing Jason's' head, Pepper whispered, "We should put them in their crib."

"We have a crib?" Tony wondered, caressing Maree's head.

Directing them to their floor, she explained. "Loki chose one a few weeks ago. He was just hesitant to buy it for whatever reason."

When they entered Loki's room, Tony discovered that the small couch and the table beside it had been removed. Instead there was a dresser with a changing table on top of it and a double crib with a mobile that looked like an upside down tree dangling over it. There were shimmering crystal balls woven between the branches, catching the meagre light JARVIS had brought up.

Hesitant, Tony looked from the fluffy blankets to the sleeping-bags with little Mjolnirs on them to his children. They had not turned human again and were still slightly cool to the touch.

Noticing her partner's indecisiveness, Pepper placed Jason in the crib and took Maree from Tony. "No, they won't get cold. They are part Jotun after all. No, nothing will happen to them, because JARVIS will keep a close eye on them. Let's go to bed. Nobody knows how long these little gods will sleep."

'Sleep when given the chance.' Tony had barely skimmed most books that offered parental guidance, meaning he had memorized about half of them and utterly dismissed the rest. There was no way to do this right, simply because children were no machines to put together and have everything be perfect. There were, however, a million and one ways to screw it up. JARVIS would be watching though and Tony had faith in his AI to notify him should the twins need him. But still …

In the darkness of their bedroom he admitted, "I'm terrified."

Turning towards him, Pepper kissed his chest before lying down on it. In a bare whisper, she answered, "Me too. But they are perfect, so we will do our very best to get it right."

Thinking about his father, Tony choked slightly. "What if our best is not enough?"

"Then we will ask for help," Pepper soothed him. "And with the support of our friends, it will be. These children already have two amazing fathers and within the week, they will have half a dozen aunts and uncles who would turn the world around for them. We can do this, Tony. Everything is going to be alright."

~ ᗯ ~

Clint returned with Natasha and really bad news. Since Tony was holed up in his workshop, JARVIS was the one sharing the news with him. Steve had been shot. Despite the serum, his injuries were life-threatening. Looking up from the specs of an interactive baby-carrier, rocking the children in the low-tech version at the same time, Tony picked them up and left for the infirmary.

Natasha was impatiently sitting on one of the hospital beds. Bruce was currently taping her ribs since she had cracked one of them. Irritably she hissed, "We need to return to DC. Hydra is still out there! Wilson might be guarding Steve at the moment, but even he has to sleep."

Putting down the carrier since Clint was already fussing over the babies, Tony decided, "Then we need to get our Captain home. We can watch him here, JARVIS can watch him here. The tower is the safest place." The need to have Steve back made Tony consider for a moment leaving the twins in Pepper's care and fetching him himself. But the mere idea of leaving Jason and Maree behind was unbearable, especially when Maree started whimpering in her seat. Tony immediately picked her up and tried to find out what was wrong.

The fates had been merciful when they had decided on his children’s temperaments. Usually, they were very well behaved. They slept for six hours straight and after a sip of warm water and a nappy-change for about two to three more. Since Loki was still unresponsive and his body barely produced enough milk to satisfy them, they drank baby formula. Throughout the day they rarely cried and never without reason. Pepper suspected that Tony's running commentary on everything he did was keeping them entertained. But yesterday, after waking from their afternoon nap, they had looked at the genius, who had fallen asleep on one of the bean bags beside them. Their daddy seemed to be an endless source of fascination for them. So Pepper was surprised when she found Maree whimpering in Tony's arms, when she entered the infirmary to see how Natasha was doing.

Instantly anxious, Tony caressed her. "What is it, angel? Do you need a new diaper? No. You can't be hungry since you just had your bottle. Come on, baby-girl. What's up?"

Watching the scene, Clint was rocking Jason in his arms, Bruce was caring for Natasha and Tony for Maree, Pepper couldn't help but smile. They really had an amazing family and clearly the twins knew that already. Taking Maree from Tony, who gave her up reluctantly, she told him, "She wants Natasha," before pushing the girl into the assassin's arms.

Paling, Nat protested. "No, Pepper, I can't …," yet she instinctively hugged the girl close. The way she automatically corrected her arms so that Maree's head was perfectly supported, belied her protests.

Smiling because his daughter seemed content again, Tony patted Natasha's shoulder. True, he only dared because she had her arms occupied. A dangerous gleam in her eyes told him that she would not forget about this. Slowly he pulled his hand back. Still, he smirked. "Don't worry. You are Maree's first Russian assassin. You two can make this up as you go."

"But why …" she started, but was interrupted when the baby-girl in her arms started to babble. Her brother immediately seemed to pick up on his sister's thoughts. So Clint and Natasha received the most interesting tale, completely helpless against the babies' charm. Despite JARVIS' brief summary of their, respective Steve's situation, Tony couldn't bring himself to interrupt them. So he summoned Steve's medical record from the Sibley Memorial Hospital and pushed his pad at Bruce once he was finished with Natasha's ribs. "What do you need to deal with such injuries?"

Going over the extensive treatment Steve had received already and the detailed list of the numerous wounds that would surely have killed someone else, Bruce decided, "I have got everything I need right here and you have a brilliant trauma specialist on your payroll. I'm worried more about Steve's current level of security than his healing process. The serum should take care of most of it."

"Steve's protected for now. Isn't he, красиваядевушка (= pretty girl)? Yes, of course, he is." Natasha said in an uncharacteristically soft voice. The other's traded a grin over her head until she flipped them off behind Maree's back. "But even Sam has to sleep eventually." When the girl decided that Natasha knew everything of importance, she yawned and snuggled into the assassin's arms. The redhead looked at Tony, but the engineer only shrugged. "She knows the sound of your voice. Loki trusted you. I trust you. Why shouldn't she?"

Incredulous she asked, "Are you telling me that the babies are familiar with every Avenger just because we were around during pregnancy?"

"Well," Pepper shared. "They started crying when Happy tried to pick them up and they don't fancy our delivery personnel."

"Yet they don't seem to have a problem with Bruce, Clint, Thor or you. I guess it's safe to say they recognize their family." Tony grinned, proud at his smart children.

"How did Loki deal with birth?" Nat wanted to know.

"He had some pretty heavy internal bleeding and now he suffers from postpartum depression. He's awake but barely responsive." Bruce answered. "He eats when we force something on him, but doesn't even look at his babies. I give him until the end of the week. Then his hormones should have levelled out. If he does not snap out of it, we have to consider medication. But I hope to avoid that, since he is half way between male and female at the moment."

Taking Maree from Natasha, who fought the gesture for a heartbeat before she smiled apologetically, Tony instructed. "You go and bring home uncle Steve and the three of us will take care of Loki."

~ ᗯ ~

Clint and Natasha went out of their way to make sure that Steve's transfer from Washington to New York would be as inconspicuous as possible. All Bruce had to do was check the patient to make sure the transport would not harm him. He swallowed heavily and clutched his hands when a gun was levelled at his head by Sam Wilson aka Falcon. Good to know that Steve's new friend took his self-assigned job as guard serious. Still …

"You might want to lower your weapon, Mr. Wilson. Steve clearly is in enough of a mess and I don't want to add to that." Bruce suggested nervously.

"I couldn't agree more," the Falcon answered, inserting himself between Bruce and the patient. "And since I have already talked to every doctor assigned to this patient and you are not one of them, I suggest you leave."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Bruce Banner. I just want to make sure that Steve is fit for transport. We have to get him home."

Clearly not liking this one bit, Sam took off the safety of his weapon and reached for Bruce's arm to drag him away from his friend. "Won't happen, doctor. Now leave before I call security."

"Considering that you want Steve back at the tower as much as I do, you are showing remarkable restraint. Even your eyes are still dark." Natasha commented from the doorway. "Sam, may I introduce you to Doctor Bruce Banner, radiation specialist and our very own 'not that kind of' doctor. You pull that trigger and you will get to know his alter ego: huge, green and, as Tony would say, with breath-taking anger management issues. If you manage not to shoot him, I'm sure you two would get off quite well."

Sam's mouth opened before he snapped it close again. "You're the Hulk! I saw you on TV during the battle of New York. You saved Iron Man."

Steamrolled by the suddenly so welcoming attitude, Bruce allowed the man to shake his hand before he retreated a few steps. Never before had someone associated the Hulk with saving people. "Thank you, but I really only want to check Steve's chart so we can get him to New York as soon as possible." Ignoring the whispered conversation between Natasha and her new friend, Bruce found his equilibrium again and gave Clint the 'all clear' when the archer rolled in a stretcher. Between the four of them, they had Steve in the jet in less than fifteen minutes.

Once they were in the air, Sam approached Bruce and held out his hand. "Sorry for pulling a gun on you, doctor. But with Hydra on the loose I couldn't risk anybody compromising Steve's safety."

"I'm glad you had his back. Don't worry. Someone pulling a weapon on me is nothing out of the ordinary. Ask Natasha how we met." Bruce comforted the soldier with a small smile before claiming a seat next to his patient.

~ ᗯ ~

Loki had long since given up on hoping that his life could ever get better. He had been able to carry his twins to term without suffering further abuse and he was grateful for that. At the same time he knew that his life with them would not have a happily ending. Best thing he could do was stay away from them as much as possible. Maybe Stark could forget their true parentage and see them as his own. Odin wouldn't care for them, or so he hoped. Thor wouldn't harm them and whatever hell they would put Loki in next, he could at least rest assured that his babies were safe on Midgard.

In the beginning he wondered why they wouldn't just let him die. They had insisted on forcing sustenance on him when it would have been so much easier to just let him drift away. Yet after five days, he discovered their reason. They had not enjoyed his suffering but shown him mercy unlike anybody else before them. Loki wanted, no needed, to see his beautiful children one single time before he could let them go.

When he pulled the needles out of his arms and the pads from his temple he realized horrified that he had turned Jotun and no matter how much he tried, he could not turn back. Why was his magic not working?  
That he had silenced the alarms of the medical equipment with barely a thought did not register in his mind.

'Oh, no, by the fates, anything but this, please!' Loki prayed feverish when staggering into the elevator. He dreaded to see his children looking like their Sire but hoped for it nonetheless. A fair skin with dark eyes and dark hair would be tolerable, much better than them being Frostgiants. 'Please, fates, have mercy on their souls.'

When Loki tumbled into his old room, he broke to his knees beside their crib, keening. He bit down hard on his hand to keep the sound quiet but could not stop the tears. What had he done to deserve such punishment? He wanted to change them, hide their monstrous parentage but the spell wouldn't hold. And the man he had hoped would act as their father had seen them anyway. Maybe that was the reason for them being all alone. Who wanted monsters at their bedside?

Despite his attempts to keep his despair to himself, the twins started to wake after a few minutes. The moment they started fussing in their crib the door opened and Tony entered, eyes mostly closed. He had a severe case of bed-head and yawned something unintelligible. JARVIS was obviously able to decipher his master's commands since a soft, green light flared up.

"It's been two hours since bedtime. What's the matter, you little nettlers?" Tony started, but interrupted himself when he finally opened his eyes and noticed Loki. "Oh, look, dad finally came around. Now he can take care of you."

Before Loki's brain could catch up with the situation, he flung himself at Tony's feet, pleading feverishly. "Master, I'm begging you. Don't cast them out. I can change them. Just give me another chance. You will never see them like this again, I swear. Please, just let me try one more time to fix this."

"Fix what exactly?" Tony asked, face closing off. This is what they have been waiting for so patiently? A father who couldn't accept his children for what they were?

"They look like me!" Loki sobbed, dropping his head. "They look like monsters, like Jotun. Nobody will ever be able to look at them without resentment. That is not the life I wanted for them. Please, my spell won't fail a second time. I can make this right. I can give them a chance for happiness."

"Oh, Loki."  
Tony's initial anger had dissipated during his god's despairing explanation. How horrible had his life to be, if he detested himself so very much? Caressing the god's head, nudging him upright, he asked gently, "Come on, I want you to meet our children. They have been waiting for you."

Fear still prominent in his eyes, Loki looked at Tony who picked up the girl. "Loki, meet Maree Lokisdottir Stark, the most beautiful girl I have ever seen." Placing the girl in Loki's arms he continued. "Maree, this is your dad. Be nice, he had a tough week."

When Maree looked up at him in awe, Loki was absolutely speechless. When the girl closed her chubby, little hand around one of his locks to suck on it, Tony turned around and reached for their son. "And here we have Jason Lokisson Stark. He might be small but he's as strong as his sister. He's a mirror image of you, in both forms."

Accepting his son in his arms, new tears started streaming down Loki's cheeks and he whispered brokenly, amazed by the mercy this human was showing his family. "What do you mean, in both forms?"

"Well, they're like you. They can turn human."

"What?"

Grinning, Tony shed his shirt and claimed back Maree, pulling her close to his chest. Lovingly he whispered into her ear. "Your dad needs to see your trick, baby-girl. Can you do that for me? Can you turn human for daddy?" Placing a kiss on her forehead, Tony was full of praise when Maree shifted from blue to pink.

Thunderstruck, Loki whispered, "That is the reason I could not transform her before. Her magic wouldn't let me."

Hugging his daughter, Tony admonished. "There is absolutely no reason for you to change a single thing about either of them. Our children are perfect just the way they are! I don't want you to force any kind of magic on them!"

Calming considerably, Loki nodded sleepily. Placing Maree in the crib, Tony took Jason from him and urged his dark-haired go to bed. "Sleep now. We'll talk tomorrow."

Rocking his son, Tony watched the father of his children fall into a deep and restful sleep. Once Loki's breath evened out, he looked at his son who in turn gazed at Loki with so much love in his dark eyes. Barely whispering, Tony told him, "Don't believe for one second that I did not see that. You're not as sneaky as you think, little mister. Your hand on his chest was glowing. No doubt about that."

When his son yawned and snuggled into Tony's shoulder, the engineer kissed his head. "You did well, Jason. I'm very proud of you."

Changing both of them, offering water before putting his son beside his daughter, who promptly turned back blue, he kissed her head as well. "Your brother did a very fine thing today, caring for your dad. But it will have drained him. Can you keep a close eye on him tonight?" When Maree twitched in Jason's direction, Tony shuffled her a little closer until their bodies touched. Adoringly he caressed their heads one more time before he left.

Back in the master bedroom, Pepper raised herself to her elbows when she noticed Tony's face. "What's wrong?"

"Loki woke and went to see his children."

"And?"

Rubbing his face, Tony sighed tiredly. "He's still Jotun and self-hatred does not even begin to cover his emotional state right now."

Nodding, Pepper rose from the bed. "Alright, let's go."

"Go where?"

"To Loki of course." She explained. "We'll sleep by his side like before, so he learns that the colour of his skin doesn't matter to us."

Pulling her into his arms, Tony buried his face in her neck, whispering. "I love you very much, you know that, right?"

Hugging her sometimes so clueless genius, Pepper replied softly, "More than anything else in the universe sans Maree and Jason." When Tony nodded, she nudged him. "Let's go and put on some pyjamas so we won't freeze tonight."

And so Loki was bracketed by his humans, with his children sandwiched between them. The little ones had made it clear that if their fathers were allowed to snuggle, so where they. It might not be the most restful night any of them had, but it surely was the most peaceful.

~ ᗯ ~

The god felt calm, at peace, for the first time in forever. Though slowly waking, Loki held on to this dream with every fibre of his being. He was cold and warm at the same time. He could feel the small bodies of his children, splayed over his chest and stomach and there was a warm arm anchoring him. With all his heart he wished that he would never have to wake because this was Valhalla and he longed for it, no matter how little he deserved it. A yawn and an impatient whimper made him squeeze his eyes shut. No nightmare, please, just a few more moments of happiness.

A hushed whisper made him rethink his idea of this being a dream. "Hush, you two. Dad needs a little more sleep." Hands buried in Loki's hair were removed gently. "I know, Jason, he's not healed yet, but you're not even a week old and no matter how much you love him, you need to preserve your seiðr."

Loki dared to open his eyes and watch Tony change his children in a way that belied his usually so rough demeanour. A soft knock on the door made him close them again, because he didn't know how to act right now. Thor's uncharacteristically quiet baritone cut through the morning, with the worried question "Tony, Loki is …"

"Hush!" The engineer interrupted him quickly. "Here, take Maree. You can help with breakfast."

Once the door had closed behind them a tremor ran over Loki's body. This could not be. This was not his life. The fates would never be so merciful.

“Of course it is, Loki. You just have to be ready to accept it.” Pepper’s voice was unbearably soft in his ears and made him finally open his eyes, realizing that he had given voice to his doubts he shook his head he contradicted her. “I can’t, because at the first possible chance they will be taken away again and I wouldn’t survive that.”

“No, they won’t.”

“How can you be so sure? They always …” Soft fingers on his lips interrupted him. “Because we won’t let them. In case you haven't noticed, you have the Avengers and me in your corner now. You belong to us and believe it or not, Tony is not very good at sharing what is his. He stood up to the Asgardian guards who tried to take you back and he will do so time and time again, until Asgard learns to leave you in peace.”

“Why would guards come here? What happened?” Loki wanted to know, still having a hard time believing that anybody would go such lengths for him. Instead of replying, Pepper put a hand on his chest and caressed his throat. For several moments the god looked at her confused. Then his eyes widened and his hands flew to his neck. “My slave-collar. How …?”

“Thor showed Tony how to take it off.”

“But why?”

“Why don’t you ask him yourself? I’m sure they are still in the kitchen.”

Staring at his hands, concentrating really hard, Loki tried to make use of his unrestricted albeit weak powers, but Pepper interrupted him once his fingers turned pink. “Don’t Loki. There are so many, far more useful things to do with your magic than wasting it on a transformation your body is not ready for.”

“You prefer a monster in your midst?” He asked bitterly.

“We prefer you healed and whole as soon as possible. The colour of your skin is of no consequence.” She admonished him, before she decided that once again words would not be enough to get her point across. Slowly she untangled from her covers and slid over Loki’s body until she sat on top of him.

Her god’s eyes turned impossible large when she placed both hands on his chest, aiming for maximum contact before leaning down, slowly capturing his lips. Loki tasted like winter and fresh fallen snow. A desperate whine escaped his throat when she pulled back. “Virginia!” But she just scooted lower until she sat directly over his pelvis.

His cool, hardening length nested between her legs with only his scrubs and her cotton pyjamas separating them. Instantly his hands found her hips, holding her in place before he reluctantly let go, gazing up at her in need for guidance. She grinded her hips a little, making him gasp while holding his ruby-red eyes captive. Caressing the markings on his chest, she whispered, “My skin turns fiery red on occasion. Bruce gets twice his size and green. With us, it only matters what you do but never the colour your skin turns. You get that?”

Another move of her hips had him choke on any reply he could have come up with. His hands closed around her body again. Slowly, deliciously she wound him up tighter and tighter before she leaned down again to capture his lips one more time. “Come for me, Loki,” she instructed before dwelling into the depth of his mouth.

Loki trembled through the throes of his orgasm, the first he had ever had in this form. It made all the difference in the world. He was sure that he was hurting her, since his blue fingers dug into her flesh. But instead of pulling away, she snuggled deeper into his arms. She was like fire in his arms and he like a blanket of snow under her. Soft lips on his cheek made him aware that he was crying.

“This was the first time anybody had ever done this to me. No one was ever willing to touch me when I’m like this. Not even me.”

Smiling, Pepper kissed his lips. “Tell Tony, I think it will encourage him to try other ‘first times’ with you.”

Once she was reasonably sure that Loki had himself under control again, she rose from the bed. “Now take a shower and dress. I’m sure your babies would love to be fed by you.”

Closing his eyes against the overwhelming feelings that filled his chest, Loki only nodded and rose. Once the door had closed behind Virginia he shut his eyes and whispered, “I love you,” before he went for the bathroom to do as she had instructed.

~ ᗯ ~


	21. Acceptance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not the easiest thing to do when you are a god who learned to hate his heritage. Also: Steve returns and will be cared about by ... (find out ;).)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you might have noticed this work is now a series. I found a point last week where I said that this story is at an end. Still, there are some more events, mostly concerning Maree and Jason, that I will write. But they don't fit the general tenor of this part. It will be lighter and fluffier with far less angst. I hope that most of you will enjoy them as well. Until then, only four more chapters to go:

When Loki entered the kitchen, shouts of joy greeted him. His babies sat in a strange contraption, watching Thor with keen eyes as he re-enacted a battle he and Loki had fought a long time ago. Listening for a moment, the Trickster realized that Thor painted him the hero of his tale, whose tactical decisions had helped them win. Though it was true, Loki was surprised since he had never realized that Thor had been aware of the importance of his manoeuvres.

A ping from some strange machine in the kitchen made the twins shift their attention. That was also the moment they noticed him and started to twist in their seats to reach for him. Instantly Tony was upon them, berating them softly, “Oh no, we don’t want a repetition of yesterday. You two sit still and I will get you out.”

Hesitantly approaching, Loki asked, “What happened yesterday?”

Looking up, smiling when he saw his dark haired god up and around, Tony picked up Jason and handed him to his father. “The young miss here wanted to get out of her seat and tangled herself up in the mobile above it. Supportive brother that he is, Jason started crying immediately. I needed half an hour to calm them and repair the mobile.” Picking up his girl, Tony held her out to Thor. “You want to feed Maree, Point Break?”

Never before had Loki seen his brother smile like that, full of love and happiness. He did not even seem to notice that the baby in his arms was Jotun. The Thundergod treated his niece with the uttermost care when he adjusted her in his arms, so that he could feed her. Tony was currently putting two bowls with mashed … something on the table, offering two spoons before he pulled Jason out of Loki’s arm with a swift motion. “Oh no. No, no, no, no, no, we can’t have that!”

It felt like a stab through the heart. The comfortable weight of his son gone all of a sudden. Maybe Tony had not had his coffee until now, it had been Loki’s job to prepare it after all and he had been neglecting his duties for some time now. Perhaps the engineer had not noticed the monstrous form Loki still wore before? His heart tore when Jason started whimpering and reached for him and Tony turning his body so that he was between Loki and his son. The god was surprised to hear the pain in the engineer’s voice when he explained patiently. “You can’t do that Jason, you have to eat first! Please, baby-boy, don’t cry. Just a little mash and everything will be alright. I made apple and carrot. You like that, don't you? Jason, shhhh, everything is going to be alright, I promise.” Yet the child seemed inconsolable and Maree started to whimper as well.

Pepper entered the kitchen and instantly reaching for Maree to pet her hair in an attempt to calm her down. “What’s wrong?”

Rocking the boy desperately, Tony explained, “Jason wants his dad to feed him, but the moment he touches Loki's skin he starts healing him again. He’s only a baby. He has to eat something before he can extort himself like that.”

“What?” Loki asked thunderstruck, unable to comprehend what the genius had just said.

Smiling Pepper kissed Maree’s head. “So put him on Loki’s lap and let his dad feed him, but hold his hands.”

Beaming, Tony turned around and pushed the boy into Loki’s arms again. Unable to catch up with what was going on, Loki took the spoon that had been laid out on the table and provided his child with breakfast. “I don’t understand,” he stammered helplessly.

Holding the boy’s tiny hands, rubbing the palms with gentle fingers, Tony asked, “Did you not wonder why you fell asleep so suddenly last night? The moment you took Jason into your arms he started healing you. But he’s a baby and considering how much healing me drained you, I want him to have breakfast before he does it again.”

Now that he had a chance to listen to his own body, Loki noticed that he did not feel as drained as before. “But that does not even make sense. Aesir don’t come into their powers before they hit puberty.”

Taking back the spoon Maree had nicked from him, licking over her fingers before cleaning them with a napkin, Thor stated quietly, “But your children are not Aesir. From everything we have been taught, Jotun are born with their seiðr, even using it as babies.”

Watching his brother treating his niece with such loving care, Loki wondered where the mighty, brash warrior had gone who had killed his nephew with but a stroke of his hammer and no remorse. Would his children have had a chance had Loki been honest with Thor? Or had his exile and his years on Midgard changed his brother in a way Loki could not even imagine? It was so different to hear a son of Asgard refer to a Jotun without bitterness or hatred in his voice. Still, Loki could not let go of old prejudice as easy as his brother, because hearing his children being referred to as Jotun hurt. Nevertheless, he admitted, “You are right of course.”

‘No, absolutely not!’ Tony decided. This defeated tone would not do, especially when Loki was talking about their children and with them within earshot! “Is it possible to get accurate information on the nature of our babies that does not include old-wives horror stories and similar nonsense?” He snapped, glaring at the brothers. His children seemed endlessly fascinated by his change of tone and watched him attentively. When neither Thor nor Loki offered any reply, Tony picked up first Jason and then Maree and loaded them into the carrier. “You know what, you two sort this out and if you have a suggestion, come down and find me. Maree and Jason are absolutely perfect the way they are and if you can’t see that, I can’t help you.”

And with that he picked up the twins and told them, “Until your dad and your uncle can tell us something useful, we’ll go and play with JARVIS, alright?”

Once the engineer was gone, two dumbfounded gods slowly turned their heads towards a chuckling CEO, who leaned against the counter, watching the spectacle. “He didn’t have his coffee until now; he always gets a little defensive when under-caffeinated. Tony has made it a habit to feed the little ones first.”

“What do I have to gather to be allowed to see my children again?” Loki asked in a forlorn whisper.

“Nothing, Loki,” Pepper comforted him softly. “But it would surely help if you would stop flinching every time somebody says the word ‘Jotun’ or ‘Frostgiant’. Tony has been through the whole racism stick with Rhodey. He was always just the son of Howard Stark until he got abducted in Afghanistan and built Iron Man. Can you really blame him for wanting his children to be their own persons, free from any kind of prejudgment?”

“That will never happen.” Loki closed his eyes, fighting down the despair that welled up at the thought of his youngest children’s futures.

“Yes, brother, it will.” Thor assured him softly, touching him consciously for the first time since he had pleaded with Loki at that mountain top in the wake of the Chitauri invasion. “Even if it is only in the safety of their own home.” Rising, he assured both Loki and Pepper, “I will travel to Asgard. There has to be something that can help us.”

“Thor,” the dark haired god reached for his brother’s hand when the Thundergod passed him by. He did not let go, even when he noticed the unconscious gesture. Neither did he acknowledge the smile his brother tried to hide so poorly. “There is a box, hidden in my old rooms. I do not know who occupies those chambers now, but if you loosen the third floorboard from the wall where my bed once stood, you should be able to retrieve it.”

Nodding, Thor headed towards the lift. Pepper had watched the exchange and decided that a very important fact had not been addressed, “Thor?”

“Yes, Lady Pepper?”

“To whom do Loki’s old rooms belong these days?”

“Still to my brother, of course.” Indicating a bow, the Thundergod left, not realizing the implications his revelation had had on his brother.

“Loki,” softy Pepper drew the god’s attention. “Go down to the workshop and spend some time with your family. And take these doughnuts with you, please. Maybe you can get Tony to eat something.”

Nodding, Loki took the carton and headed out as well. He turned towards her before entering the stairwell. “You knew the answer, even before you asked it.”

“I did.” She smiled.

“Then why did you ask?”

Putting away her mug, she sighed. “Because you needed to hear from Thor that your father still has hope that you will come home someday.”

Bitterly, Loki reminded her. “He was the one casting me out!”

“Yes, he was. You did horrible things and as king he had to judge you.” She agreed. “But that does not mean that he has abandoned all hope for you.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Gently she asked, “When you think of your children, can you imagine any crime that would make you not love them any longer?

Shutting his eyes against such an unfathomable thought, the god shook his head. Passing him to enter the elevator JARVIS had called for her, Pepper assured him, “Apparently, neither can Odin.”

~ ᗯ ~

Loki barely had time to ponder on what Pepper had just revealed, too eager to see his children again. He trusted her and was willing to write off Tony snapping at him to the lack of caffeine the engineer had suffered. So he certainly did not hover at the edge of the workshop, watching Tony sitting cross-legged on a bench with Maree in his lap and Jason beside him in the carrier. He seemed quite skilled in entertaining both at the same time and Loki was glad for it. This was what he had wanted, what he had hoped for upon deciding to name Iron Man as the father of his children. He was surely just imagining Tony whispering to his son, “I know, Jason, but he has to come on his own initiative,” before kissing the boy’s head and then speaking up. “Alright, JARVIS, enough of Dungeons and Dragons references. No matter how much Maree likes them. Give me something useful.”

 _“My apologies, Sir, but it seems that any even remotely accurate information about dark elves comes from the S.H.I.E.L.D. database. And you have already studied that thrice.”_  JARVIS replied. _“There are several ancient Norwegian and Swedish texts that mention them in passing. But they are nowhere as detailed.”_

Sighing frustrated, readjusting his daughter so she could play footsie with her brother, Tony decided. “Alright, give me those. And throw up a few more pics to keep the little ones entertained.”

Only when Tony seemed lost in his research once again did Loki dare to approach. The moment he stepped into the line of vision of his kids, both started to babble happily and reached for him. Yet after what had happened in the kitchen, Loki was hesitant to pick them up. He held out the doughnuts like a peace offering and tried very hard not to pull back his blue fingers when Tony reached for them, touching him in passing. In an attempt to cover up his unease he asked, “You are studying dark elves?”

“I’m not stupid, you know.” The genius stated, stuffing the first doughnut into his mouth, pointedly avoiding to look at Loki. “I’m Maree and Jason’s father and we have a Frostgiant at hand. But I want to know what to expect from the other half of their genetic code and would you pick him up already before he starts crying for heaven’s sake!” Impatiently, the engineer opened the straps of the carrier and glared at Loki.

Instantly reaching for his son, the god pulled him close to his heart, admitting quietly, “I was not sure you wanted me to.”

“Oh, Loki.” Tony sighed dejectedly. “Why would I ever not want you to pick up your children? Because you are blue? Do I really look as if the colour of your skin mattered to me?”

Accepting his daughter into his arms as well, her turning from pink to blue had been a clear indication which father she wanted right now, Loki used his children to hide his face for a heartbeat. He saw such a hideous monster when he looked at his countless reflections. But when he admired his children, his beautiful, tiny, precious children, all he could see was perfection. Even the markings on their faces, indicating them to be descendants of the royal bloodline of Laufey that he despised on himself, were gorgeous on them. Quietly he admitted, “I know they are perfect, I just …”

“You just wished they did not look like members of a race you have been taught where the enemy since you were young.” The human finished his god’s sentence. When Loki’s face dropped, the engineer opened his arms. When he offered back the children, Tony shook his head and pulled all three close. Gently he wrapped his arms around his little family and kissed the markings on Loki’s forehead with the same loving affection he used on the twins. Quietly he assured the father of his children, “You are stupid and you can’t accept that for once good things are coming his way. But that has nothing to do with the colour of your skin or the markings that decorate it. They are beautiful, just the way they are. And so are you.”

Loki wanted to growl at the mocking, aware that Tony used it to try and set him at ease, but the noise came out more as a sob. Nobody had ever said something like that to him. Not even Sigrun because who would have thought the God of Mischief to be someone who needed assurances. Instantly, Tony pulled him closer, shifting the twins between them so they wouldn’t get squished. After a few minutes the babies got tired of all the snuggling and started fussing in their fathers’ embrace.

Tony chuckled, “Are we not entertaining enough for you, you little naggers?” Gesturing towards the play pen that was now reinforced with glass-walls on the side closest to his working area, the engineer prompted Loki to put their children down. “Tell you what, my three snowflakes. You entertain yourselves here and I will do a little more research. Around noon we’ll all indulge on a cup of cocoa and an animal cookie. Deal?”

Clearly in favour of this plan, they adored the play pen, the children started to giggle and pull on Loki’s clothes. Smiling their father looked at them and kneeled on the blanket beside them.

“Be good,” Tony instructed, but grinned after a moment. “Or at least no more reckless than daddy.” He crouched down to kiss Maree and Jason’s little feet before he pulled Loki close and kissed him as well. Winking at his god, he slid over the cupboards and went back to his studies.

Green light surrounding his and Jason’s hand pulled Loki out of his daze. Tony had kissed him before, of course he had but never … no, he had never kissed him like this, with gentleness and affection as if it was the most natural thing to do. For his human there really seemed to be no difference what realm Loki came from. Yet his children demanded his attention and kept him from pondering on this any longer.

Jason’s seiðr felt very similar to Sigrun’s. His son’s magic was cool and comfortable, affectionate and soothing when it spread through Loki’s body like a fresh winter-breeze. Contrary to Tony’s concerns, Loki could sense that Jason was far from exhausting himself. Mainly because his child seemed filled to the brim with mystical energy. When the god tried to take his hand away, it was not a child’s task to care for his father, the little boy started to cry almost instantly and Loki felt a tug on his sleeve. Looking from the heartbroken boy to his sister, he noticed Maree was fixated on his sleeve with intense concentration. At least until Loki covered his son’s hands again. Then the girl’s attention returned to the soft toy she was currently chewing on.

Testing his suspicion, the god took the plush Mjolnir, very funny indeed, from her and presented it on an open palm. Had he not known Pepper Potts not to have the slightest involvement in the children’s conception, he would have called Maree a mirror image of her mother. With brilliant red eyes she glared at him and her mouth twisted into an impatient frown. Waving her hands she babbled exasperatedly but when Loki only raised his eyebrows at her, the toy just floated down again. For another moment, she berated him before opening her mouth again to suckle on it anew.

Helpfully Loki pushed it closer until she latched onto it. “Ahm … Tony?” He barely managed to pull his gaze away from his amazing children.

“A minute, Reindeer Games, I just want to …”

“Did you know that has Maree mastered a levitation spell already?”

“… finish with this chap… What?” Pulling away from his monitors so fast that his chair started spinning, the engineer nearly tripped over several wires in his attempt to reach the play pen. “Did you say ‘levitation’? Baby-girl, have you been holding out on me?”

A warm glow lit up in Loki's belly when Tony spread out on the floor, belly down and looked up at him eagerly. “Field test or it doesn’t count!”

Smiling Loki extracted the toy again, holding it on his open palm as before. This time however, Maree seemed even less amused by his antics than before. Instead of claiming back her toy, a building block from the other end of the pen came flown and hit Loki at the back of his head so that he dropped her toy.

Crying out triumphantly, Tony scooped her up and hugged her close. "Oh my god, we have the most amazing children!" He laughed but after a moment he crawled over so that he was crouched down beside Loki. "One thing though, baby girl, we never hurt our family, alright? Yes, your dad did something to make you angry, but we never, ever hurt each other. Understood?" Tony softly patted the back of Loki's head with Maree's chubby hand before he kissed the dark hair.

Putting Maree back on her blanket, the engineer caressed first her, then Jason lovingly. "Our family might be a strange band of misfits, but they are all we've got. So we protect them and don’t hurt them intentionally."

~ ᗯ ~

After a day, Bruce finally gave permission for them to visit Steve. The transport had been less than perfect to say at least. Apparently even in New York there were enough Hydra agents on the loose to cause trouble when the jet entered their airspace. Nevertheless, Hawkeye brought honour to his name by outmanoeuvring all of them and landing neatly in the tower, even with one engine down.

One of them stayed at Steve's bedside at all times and when Tony finally brought Loki and the twins around, Sam Wilson was on guard duty once again. The soldier had a hand at his weapon the moment the door opened and a blue-skinned figure entered. He even stepped into Loki's way. Tony decided he liked him, manoeuvring the carrier with the twins through the door after a brief check-up with Bruce. Especially when the soldier stated firm but respectfully, "I'm sorry, Sir, but this is a private room. You have to leave."

Points to Loki for straightening immediately and glaring at the man. "And who is going to make me, you mortal?" A change washed over him and suddenly he looked like he had in Stuttgart, albeit blue, horned helmet and an impressive staff in his hand. Tony knew the outfit to be an illusion, but it was no less impressive for it. Maree and Jason's delighted noises made Loki look over his shoulder and wink at them for a moment, the twins found that endlessly funny, before he returned his attention to the human in front of him.

The guy had had Cap's back so the billionaire decided to cut him some slack. "Stand down, Reindeer Games, this is Sam Wilson, the newest bird of our Captain and Widow. One more and I consider installing an aviary on the roof. Wilson, don't get your panties in a twist. This is Loki, father slash mother of these two gorgeous demi-gods and not someone who would hurt Steve."

As expected the illusion vanished.

"You're Iron Man."

"Give this guy a medal." Tony rolled his eyes at the wit of stating the obvious. Then he put down the carrier to pick up Maree, leaving Jason to his dad. Together they claimed places on the foot of Steve's bad, ignoring the Falcon for now.

Loki was pulling down the sheets and put a hand on Steve's chest when Clint and Natasha entered. Bruce and Thor were following on their heels. Noticing Sam's confusion, Nat calmed him with an encouraging nod so that he would put away his gun. The Avengers surrounded the bed. Thor was the one to ask, the obvious question. "You think you can heal him, brother?"

Shaking his head, Loki revealed, "Healing was never my strong suit, but it clearly is Jason's."

"You plan on letting Steve's life threatening injuries be healed by an infant who’s barely a week old?" Bruce asked unbelieving.

"Our children have natural abilities," Tony explained. "Courtesy of their sire."

Nobody said anything, since the engineer had made it clear right from the beginning that the dark elf was not to be discussed. Ever!

Thor approached his brother and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. Loki stiffed for a second but then instructed Tony, "Give Maree to Thor. He will complete the circle."

Wordlessly, the human handed over his daughter and relinquished his place on the bed for the Thundergod. He hovered behind Loki, not allowing any distance between him and his family.

"Alright, Jason," Loki started to explain softly. "You know Steve, or so your daddy told me. He's part of our family, like Clint and Natasha and Bruce and Thor. But he is very sick. Will you heal him for us?"

When Jason started to wiggle in his father's arms, the god placed him on Steve's chest. A brief nod towards his brother had Thor cover Loki's hand on Jason's back with Maree's and his own. A soft, green glow started to fill the room.

Quietly Tony filled in his friends. "Jason is a natural healer. Helping Loki through his transformation back to male after birth was easy, because a Jotun naturally shifts between male and female when the situation demands for it. But with the serum, Steve's body simply tries to heal any damage as fast as possible, no matter if he has the energy for it. That will be even more true when he's give a boost. Allowing such healing unsupervised would be like planting cancer in his cells." At least that was how Tony had understood Loki’s explanation. "Therefore Jason offers his healing abilities and his father guides them into the right direction."

Clint wanted to know, "But what about Thor and Maree?"

"They're batteries.” Natasha pondered. “Giving energy without actually participating.”

Tony only nodded, keeping a close eye on his children. Healing was a long and draining task, or so Loki had explained. Tony was to pull Jason away, the moment he got the impression that the child was exerting himself. Since Loki’s skin-colour was a pretty good indication of how energized or how drained he felt, the engineer felt sure that he would recognize even early stages of exhaustion. Especially with Maree nearby. The girl was extremely protective of her brother and when there was even a hint of discomfort in Jason, Maree usually instantly started to kick up a fuss.

However, before that happened, Steve opened his eyes and took in the people in his room. His lips curled into a weak smile as he croaked, “I understand that reference: you are smurfs!”

“Watch it who you are calling smurfs, Rogers.” Tony snapped, but the relief of having their leader finally awake was palpable in his voice. For a few more minutes Loki and Jason kept up the healing and when the blue god finally took their hands off, he was swaying slightly. Tony stabilised him inconspicuously with a hand on his shoulder, before carding his fingers through Loki’s hair. He was glad to notice that his god leaned into the caress once again.

The Avengers smiled at each other since Steve had already placed a protective hand on Jason’s back, the moment his father had let go. Tenderly he traced the markings on the baby’s forehead and asked, “And who do we have here?”

Having claimed Maree back from Thor, showering her with praises, Tony did the honours. “This, oh Captain my Captain, is Jason Lokisson Stark and here we have Maree Lokisdottir Stark. Say ‘thank you’ to Jason since my son just healed your sorry butt!”

Caressing the baby’s head, Steve whispered, still drained, “Thank you, Jason,” before he drooped again.

Everybody looked at Loki for guidance but the tired looking god comforted them. “Healing needs a lot of energy. Let him rest and in twenty four hours he should be as good as new.” When he tried to pick up his son, the boy immediately started to wail. “It seems that we will linger a little.”

To Loki’s, but surely nobody else’s surprise, Thor reached for him. “Strengthen yourself, brother, and allow me to guard my nephew.”

“You think I will leave you alone with my son?” Loki snapped. ‘When you have killed other children of mine before him?’

Yet Thor only nodded, despite undoubtedly hearing the unspoken accusation. “Yes, because you know that I would rather die than let anything happen to him.”

Glaring for a heartbeat, Loki gave in and rose from the bed, swaying slightly. Instantly Clint, who had approached the bed as well, to confirm that Steve truly looked better, reached out for him reflexively. He covered the action by nudging him less then gently towards Tony and straightened out the covers.

When they left Steve and Jason in Thor’s care Maree made a distressed noise. Natasha touched her head comfortingly. “Your brother needs a little rest, красиваядевушка (= pretty girl). Your uncle Thor will take good care of him.”

When Maree reached for her after that, Tony immediately handed her over, despite the assassin’s protests. The girl seemed only slightly comforted and started to share her unease verbosely. Despite her usually so cold and detached behaviour, Nat hummed and nodded at all the right places, encouraging the baby to continue. That left Tony free to dote on Loki. Despite his initial explanation that they would share the strain of healing, his god looked worse to wear. The Avengers pointedly ignored the engineer wrapping an arm around the father of his children and half carrying him to the common floor.

Clint started raiding the fridge and carried a huge tray, laden with milk, pudding and yoghurt to the couch. Pushing one pudding and a plastic spoon at Natasha, Tony claimed another and offered it to Loki. Casually he asked while unobtrusively fussing over his god, “Why is your newest bird hovering in the doorway, Nat?”

“I didn’t mean to impose, Mr. Stark. I just wanted to make sure Steve is alright.” Sam replied.

Looking over the back of the couch, Tony stated drily, “It’s Tony, Mr. Stark was my father. You had Capsicle and Widow’s back in D.C.. You made sure that Steve was safe at the hospital. I guess that pretty much grants you a place on my couch, if …” the engineer grinned when Sam came closer, freezing him mid-step. “If you let me have a look at your wings later.”

“But they’re broken. The Winter Soldier ripped them apart.”

“That’s the point,” Tony grinned, wiggling his eyebrows.

Natasha, who had dutifully spooned pudding into Maree’s forever open mouth, explained, “Lesson one, baby-girl, boys never grow up. Their toys only become more expensive.”

“That’s lesson two,” Loki corrected her from the floor where he had instinctively relaxed against Tony’s legs. Smiling down at the god, the billionaire offered a glass of milk and finished for him. “Lesson one is: we never hurt our family intentionally.”

As if to confirm that, Maree tried to scramble from Natasha’s lap. When the assassin held her out she reached for Loki and snuggled into her dad’s embrace. Within moments she was fast asleep.

Loki dozed off as well and the others filtered out one by one, giving the fathers time to recover.

~ ᗯ ~


	22. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trust exercise. Actually, more than one.

Every other afternoon, Bruce had made a habit of examining the babies. Today he chose Steve’s room for the exam, since Jason still refused to leave the patient and everybody else felt that there was strength in numbers. Contrary to their father’s inclination of avoiding medical no matter what, the twins actually seemed to enjoy Bruce measuring, weighing, and touching them. They had special fun with the stethoscope and made their skin bloom blue or pink wherever it touched them. No baby had ever had a doctor listen to the soles of their feet, but Maree and Jason liked it so much that Bruce couldn’t help but entertain them.

The doctor’s sigh had Loki and Tony, as well as everybody else, look at him concerned. “Physically they could not be any better,” Bruce comforted. “But as before, their growth rate is vastly accelerated. They were far bigger than new-borns in the first place, more like babies of three to four weeks. That was the main reason why birth put such a strain on you, Loki. They are already closer to three months than to two and judging by the amount of food they consume, I can’t see this trend stopping any time soon. Loki, I’m sorry, but I have to ask: can you pinpoint the moment of conception?”

Loki’s knuckles turned white despite his blue skin, but he closed his eyes to calculate. “Seven months, two weeks and five of your days ago.”

“Their development still is nearly twice as fast as it should be. But since they seem healthy otherwise, I’d say we just roll with it. Maybe we should introduce more fruits and vegetables into their nutrition. Growing is a draining task.” If there was an expert on the nutritional demands of rapid growth, it would be Bruce, so Tony nodded dutifully and picked up his little boy who reached for him. “Also,” the doctor added, “They should go out, see the sun more.”

“Awesome,” Tony grinned. “Field trip to Central Park! Give me a day and I’ll have a carrier that will cling to the armour.”

Pepper, who had made a habit of being there during these exams, took Jason from Tony. “Loki, would you join me? We’ll take a look at the available range of strollers and you can chose one. Otherwise your children will be introduced to Mach 1 before they can crawl.”

“But, Pepper!” the genius protested. Yet, as expected, Loki was already following the CEO, leaving him behind.

The rest of the Avengers shared grins, but refrained from commenting.

“What?” Tony wanted to know. “Mach 1 is great and I would make a mean carrier. With little parachutes and bulletproof glass!”

“Sure, Tony,” Natasha agreed. “Didn’t you want to take a look at Sam’s wings?”

~ ᗯ ~

Tony would never admit it, but it felt good to dive head first into a project without having to entertain his children. He loved them dearly and would gladly abandon everything just to make them happy. But knowing that Pepper and Loki were caring from them left him free to spread out the plans for Falcon’s wings. It was well past midnight before he looked up from the specs he had started from scratch. Of course, the necessary repairs of the original pair had already been taken care off. You could never tell when they might need Falcon airborne on a moment’s notice. But his genius wouldn’t let him rest without at least sketching the framework for an advanced model.

Only when JARVIS reminded him that Maree and Jason would need a diaper change soon, did he save his progress and ascend towards the penthouse. When he entered the babies’ room, the twins were already talking amongst themselves. They rarely cried at night, since JARVIS usually had someone by their side within minutes after they woke. Upon seeing their daddy, they immediately started bringing him up to speed on everything he had missed. Changing them and rocking them in his arms, Tony returned the courtesy once they were finished. They listened to his tale with rapt attention for about ten minutes. Then they were sound asleep in his arms.

When he entered his bedroom he found Loki wrapped around Pepper and while she held Loki’s arm around her waist close snuggling into the god, he was the one with his back to the door, protecting her with his body. Tony waited for the jealousy to hit him, but the emotion wouldn’t come. Pepper was his and Loki was theirs. No need to get jealous over something that already belonged to him.

When he wrapped around his god from behind, Loki tensed for a heartbeat before going boneless in Tony’s arms. He instinctively knew that he did not have to be on guard any longer, now that the engineer had his back. Tony counted it as a blessing.

~ ᗯ ~

Weeks passed and Maree and Jason grew at an amazing rate. Her first conscious word was ‘boom’ after a day with an exceptional number of explosions in the workshop. Protected by transparent, yet triple reinforced walls, the babies were entertained beyond measure by watching Tony work.

In the middle of the afternoon, Maree pulled Loki’s sleeve, gesturing at her daddy, “Da, boom!”

She shrieked excitedly. And actually the fusion chamber Tony was experimenting with blasted to pieces once again. Delighted she clapped her hands when her prediction had come to pass. When she pulled Loki’s sleeve again half an hour later, the god interrupted the engineer. “Tony, you are doing something wrong. It will blow up again.”

“Really,” the engineer snapped. “And who made you an expert on fusion powered mechanical wings?”

Loki however could only grin at this verbal attack. The genius rarely dealt well with failure, especially not if he could not find the mistake. “Nobody,“ he answered calmly. “Your daughter just said so.”

“You’re kidding me, right?” Instantly the man looked at his brilliant blue daughter. Yet, she just prompted enthusiastically, “Da, boom!”

Shaking his head in confusion, Tony returned to his setup and went over his triple checked calculations one more time. No mistake. Still, when he powered up the core, it burst into pieces for the fourth time. It was hard to stay angry at himself when Maree and Jason had such a good time. Cleaning off the worst of the debris, Tony returned to the playing pen and picked up Maree. “What am I missing and how come you saw it?”

Obviously trying to be helpful, Jason suggested, “Javi!” Kissing his son, the engineer smiled, “You think JARVIS knows the answer to my problem?”

Chuckling, Loki lifted his son, so they could all cuddle. “To be fair, they think JARVIS knows everything.”

“Outsmarted by my own AI. How is that my life?” Tony grouched, secretly eyeing the chuckling Loki from the corner of his eyes.

“Whenever someone asks a question, your computer provides the answer. It’s not their fault they believe in a higher power inhabiting the ceilings. That, and JARVIS talks to them as well.”

“He does? You do, JARVIS?” Tony looked up in surprise. “But they just now talked for the first time. High five, by the way, baby-girl for your first word.”

 _“Indeed, Sir.”_ The AI admitted. _“Since your equipped me with a wide array of sensors, I am able to judge their needs not only from a verbal but other input as well: their temperature for example, their movement pattern, even their skin colour helps me determine how to be of service.”_

“And how do you satisfy their needs?” the genius wanted to know.

_“Usually I just keep them entertained until either you, Sir, Master Loki or Miss Potts are able to follow my summoning. If none of you are available my list of contacts continues with Master Thor, Agent Romanov and Agent Barton. Usually Agent Barton spends more time playing with them than seeing to their needs like sleep or naptime, so I call upon him last.”_

“Hm,” was Tony’s highly intelligent comment. Truth was, his mind was still a little caught up in Loki’s small laughter. It had been a beautiful sound, laid back but honest and the engineer wanted to hear it more often. “Anyway,” he shook his head. “Can you give me some insight on my current dilemma?”

_“Regrettably not, Sir. You covered the fusion chamber with vibranium and that keeps my sensors from acquiring accurate readings.”_

“Maybe the vibranium is the problem.” Tony pondered, heading towards the workbench again.

“Anthony” Loki stopped him halfway. The serious tone and his full name made the engineer freeze mid-step.  
“You will most certainly not conduct any experiments with Maree in your arms.”

Looking down at his daughter, who smiled at him brightly, Tony grinned sheepishly. “Oops?”

Glaring at the engineer, Loki held out his arm for her to be handed over. Dutifully Tony did, secretly revelling in the fact that Loki had felt comfortable enough to berate him.

~ ᗯ ~

When they woke the next morning Loki, now entirely human in appearance, was fast asleep in Tony’s arms. Pepper looked at him from Tony’s other side, tenderly brushing a strand of dark hair from his face. The engineer’s low chuckle made her look up, a mischievous gleam in his eyes prompted her to grin. “What are you planning, Mr. Stark?” She asked in a hushed whisper.

“Something,” he answered vaguely and captured her lips.

Enjoying his affections, she pulled away after a few long moments. “Enjoy yourself. I have a meeting at nine.”

“You, Miss Potts, are no fun!” Tony pouted quietly.

“I, Mr. Stark, have to work for a living.”

Grinning, the billionaire offered, “I’ll call your boss, tell him you’re sick?”

Laughing under her breath, she kissed the tip of his nose. “Have fun.”

When Pepper had left, Loki whispered from the crook of Tony’s arm. “Have fun with what?”

Gently tilting the god’s chin up, the engineer smiled. “With you, of course. If you are amenable.”

Gazing at the human’s lips longingly, Loki leaned up and captured them.

It was easy to get washed away by the demanding kiss, but Tony had to keep his wits about this. Pulling back, he caressed Loki’s face, repeating his question, “Do you want this?”

Reaching for the engineer’s hand, pulling it down, Tony could feel Loki’s hardening cock. “What do you think, human?”

Smiling, he pulled Loki on top, ridding the god of his shirt. Tony admired the creamy-white chest. “I think you are entirely too coherent for this time of the day.” Then he leaned up and trapped a rosy nipple between his teeth.

Surprised by the unexpected attack, Loki sunk his fingers into the human’s hair and pulled him closer, groaning under his breath. He was torn between arching into his engineer’s talented mouth and pushing back when Tony’s fingers started to pull down his sleeping pants and were massaging his backside. When the human shifted his attention from one nipple to the other, Loki hissed and leaned into the strong hands.

“Lube,” Tony mumbled, peppering kisses over his god’s chest. “First drawer of the right bedside table.” He looked up to allow Loki to move, but the god only grinned and in the blink of an eye, the bottle was in his hand.

Laughing, Tony reached for it. “So, how should we do this, Bambi Eyes? Top or Bottom, what do you prefer?”

Tensing for a moment, Loki looked at him. The thought of taking his human was … impossible. He was … he couldn’t … he wasn’t allowed to …  
Before the panic could pull him under, Tony dragged him down and kissed him. “Shhh, everything is alright. Don’t worry. We’ll do whatever feels the most comfortable. I won’t judge, just tell me.”

Fighting through his frantic thoughts, Loki shook his head. “I can’t be … I cannot take you, that is …”

“Hey,” Tony soothed, caressing the trembling man’s face. “This is going to be great either way.”

“I want,” the former slave tried, testing the words in his mouth. “I want you to take me. You will not hurt me, I am sure of it.”

Kissing his god softly, Tony assured him, “Never.”

After a heartbeat, the god nodded and captured the engineer’s lips once more. They did not need long to re-ignite their passion and after coating his fingers, Tony started to tease Loki’s arse. Only when the god growled at him frustrated, did he allow his index finger to sink into the pliant body. Even if Loki had problems letting go, Tony would make sure to do only what the other man enjoyed. Apart from a little experiment, but the engineer deemed that necessary for Loki’s self-esteem.

Nibbling on his god’s neck, the engineer prompted, “Get on all four, darling. It will be easier that way.”

When the god tensed for a heartbeat, Tony had an idea, “JARVIS, give me the video feed from this room. Real-time.” Turning Loki around so that the god could watch himself and everything that happened, Tony grinned before scrambling down. Clearly Loki was fascinated with the picture, so he would give him something to watch.

The tip of Tony’s tongue tracing down his spine, while slowly pushing a finger into him, made the god whine and wiggle because the contract was far too superficial for his liking. Pushing back he groaned, “Antony, please!”

Chuckling under his breath, he sunk a second finger into his god’s body, nipping on his butt. “I like it when you say my name like that. Do it again!”

Delving deeper, finally locating his god’s sweet spot, Tony chuckled when Loki shouted surprised. “Anthony! Stop this and take me, you infuriating human being!”

“As you wish, darling,” the engineer smirked, leaving his god painfully empty for a second before sinking his throbbing erection into the other male. Loki nearly sobbed with relief, pushing back to speed up their union. Both men groaned when Tony was fully seated, revelling in the feeling. This was nothing like the dungeon where his last master had forced himself on him. This was pure bliss, pleasure and affection from both partners. For a heartbeat Loki wished that they could stay like this forever.

“I wish Pepper could see this.”

Ever helpful, JARVIS informed him, _“Miss Potts’ meeting was postponed for an hour. She’s currently alone in her office.”_

“Brilliant, we’ll give her a show.” Loki was shocked when all of a sudden, Virginia’s face appeared before him.

“Tony, what …”

“Just watch,” the engineer purred. “Watch while I am making love to our god.”

It seemed that for the first time since he had met her, Loki had the privilege of watching Virginia Potts absolutely speechless. All she could do was nod before she swallowed slowly. Loki couldn’t avert his eyes, wishing that she was really with them instead of only on display. This was a crazy idea, but so very typical for his human so he decided to enjoy it. When Tony caressed his chest, pulling him up, Loki could only nod when the engineer whispered into his ear, “Let’s make it worth her while.”

Seeing himself, seeing the affectionate gaze of the man and the hungry looks of the woman roaming over his body, Loki had no problems staying in the moment. No matter what his master, his mistress or their friends had done to him, this could not be more different. This was passion and desire but most of all it was love. Oh, Tony took what his body had to offer, but he never got lost in his carnal hunger. Every stroke over heated skin, every caress was supposed to make sure that Loki enjoyed himself. His body was approaching climax when Tony pulled him up and flush against his chest. Kissing his ear, the engineer instructed, “I want to watch you bring yourself off.”

When Loki automatically reached for his cock, because right now that seemed like a fantastic idea, Tony captured his hands, nipping on his shoulder. “Not like this, snowflake. I want to see you like you really are.”

When Loki froze at that request, Tony continued to caress his body, touching his throat so that the god would lean back against him. He stroke his chest, over his nipples and down his belly, pulling him closer so that they were fused together even tighter. The engineer caressed his inner thighs, having Loki spread them instinctively so that the god was on full display.

It was a request, Loki knew that. He could deny his human and would not be abandoned or punished. But Virginia's words penetrated his veil of doubt. Deep and tender she repeated the question, "Can you do that for us, Loki? Can you let us see you how you really are: beautiful, vibrant and unique?"

Opening his eyes, the god turned his head towards Tony who kissed him lovingly and assured, "I will make it great for you, I promise."

Bracing himself, Loki closed his eyes and brushed away the Aesir disguise. It was surprisingly easy, as if his magic was already bending to the will of these humans. When he turned blue and therefore cold, he could hear Tony hissing behind him. The overheated body of his human became all the more noticeable against his back. Yet instead of pulling back, as instinct would demand, the engineer leaned closer, capturing his lips. It was like tasting a furnace, completely different than kissing Virginia. She had been tender and affectionate, but Tony acted wanton, like he could not get enough of him. When the engineer pulled back to catch his breath, both heard Pepper chuckling huskily, "Like winter and freshly fallen snow. He's delicious, isn't he?"

Caressing his god's chest, Tony could only nod. "Absolutely delectable, but that's beside the point right now. Touch yourself, gorgeous, and look up. You're a sight to behold. Be proud of it."

Reluctantly, Loki turned towards the video feeds. He wanted to concentrate on Virginia and Anthony but the blue figure on the bed inevitably drew his attention. It was hard but Loki could see what Virginia and Anthony were talking about. If he managed to see past the fear and hatred he had been taught for even a split-second, this form was truly marvellous. His legs seemed to go on for miles, surrounding his human's knees on both sides. Tony's cock vanished into the shadow between his legs, but his own arched beautifully against his belly. The engineer's strong, white fingers wandered down his chest, framing it enticingly.

"Touch yourself," he whispered hoarsely, "I know you want to!" And indeed, for the first time, Loki felt the desire to touch his formerly so hated body. If only to make his humans happy. Long elegant fingers closed around his shaft and started stroking it experimentally.

It felt good, really good and he leaned back with a groan, closing his eyes. But Tony would have none of that. Reaching for the god's balls, toying with them before touching the skin where their bodies were joined, caressing the already stretched rim, he admonished, "Not like this: look at yourself!"

A powerful shove made Loki overbalance so that he had to abandon his shaft and catch himself on his hands. Tony's arm around his waist kept them joined but his growing desire made him hiss angrily at his human.

Enticing hands stroke down his shaft, once … twice … caressing his chest, tweaking his nipples, making him lean into the contact even more, finally reaching his neck, pulling him up again. The engineer turned his head so that Loki was forced to look into the wide blown pupils of his human. Pulling back even more, closing his second hand around Loki's cock, touching it far too superficial to offer release, Tony growled, "Watch!"

When Loki finally managed to summon a conscious thought, he could only nod. He turned his head and took in his shivering form. His hands started to reach for his cock again, but this time Tony did not pull back. He wove their fingers together, increased the pleasure the god drew from this simple contact a hundredfold.

"By the fates … please … don't stop!"

Pushing deeper into his god, making Loki sob for a moment, Tony purred, "Believe me, I don't plan to."

It was a spiral of pleasure and heat, igniting the god from inside and out. His body fought the heat, his breath turned to ice but at that point the Jotun would have rather gone up in flames than be separated from his human. Tony surrounded him from all sides. He could not even distinguish any longer what part of his body was touched by the man and which by himself. Another sob tore from his throat because this felt like dying in the best possible way until Tony captured his lips again, whispering, "Come for me."

An inhuman shout tore from his throat and everything he was, everything that made him Loki burst out of him, exploding through the tower.

~ ᗯ ~

When the god returned to his senses he lay huddled in the middle of the bed. Wrapped in blankets, Tony covered his back protectively. The Jotun felt gentle fingers caressing the markings on his face, his arms, his hands and slowly turned around. He couldn't remember everything that had happened, only that it had been amazing.

"Welcome back, Snowflake," Tony chuckled, his eyes alight with mirth and affection. "You sure are a storm in the sack."

When Loki shook his head uncomprehending, Tony unwound from him and gestured around. There was a thin layer of freshly fallen snow covering everything. Scrambling out of bed, the Frostgiant looked around, noticing what his uncontrolled seiðr had done.

When Tony threw pants and a shirt at him, he dressed reflexively and followed in a daze when the engineer pulled his hand. "Come on, the twins love this. You have to see them."

Worried about his children, Loki hastened to reach the living room since it was already closer to noon than morning. He froze in the doorway when he found Thor and Natasha sitting on the floor next to a heap of snow that served as a playground for his vibrant, blue children. When Jason spotted him, he clapped his hands and shrieked, "Da, no, no, no, no, no!"

The god was upon his son in an instant, lifting him worriedly. "No, what? What is bothering you, love?"

Natasha's chuckle made him gaze up for a heartbeat. Amused she explained, "He means 'snow'."

"Your children enjoyed the blizzard you conjured greatly, brother." Thor explained. "I wish I could fulfil their desire for more, but I am not as skilled with the cold as you are."

"Da, no!" Maree insisted, when her brother's demands seemed to get them nowhere.

Kneeling down, Loki kissed her and Jason before putting the boy back on the floor. He tried to remember what he had done, reached for powers he had always thought he could only detest before opening his eyes again. A million snowflakes appeared mid-air and started to sink down on his children. Thor whirled his hammer so that the ice-crystals were trapped in a spiral of wind, swirling above the babies.

Pepper's exasperated voice came in over the speakers. "Nat, do you think that Tony and Loki will be at it much longer? It's really hard to work when snow is melting on all our documents."

Chuckling, Tony answered. "Loki and Tony aren't 'at it' any more, Pep. Frosty is just entertaining our little snowmen."

"Oh," Pepper deadpanned before inquiring apologetic, "Sorry, Loki, but do you think you could entertain Maree and Jason outside? Damage by snow indoors is not covered by our insurance."

When Tony started to card his fingers through Loki's hair, the good looked up. "You want to visit the mountaintop where we talked after our joyride?"

Watching his jubilant children the god nodded and picked them up. "We will see you there, Anthony." And with that he vanished.

"Hey!" Tony protested, but Thor's supressed chuckle made it clear, that Loki had pulled this stunt before. Looking at the Thundergod, who had so naturally taken over babysitting at Pepper's request and seemed so blissfully happy while watching his niece and nephew, Tony decided that Loki had not been the only one to suffer when the story of the younger god's adoption had come out. The best environment for his children to grow up was an intact and happy family. So Tony started for the balcony, prompting Thor, "Race you!" and took off as soon as his boots were properly attached. JARVIS could take care of the rest mid-air.

When all children, both above and below three foot, had left the room, Natasha asked, "You need a hand, Pepper?"

"You would safe my life, Natasha!" The CEO exhaled. She had become used to a lot by Tony's side, but this was certainly new.

"Clint and I will be down in five," Nat promised, preparing to deal with the chaos Stark’s God of Mischief had caused.

~ ᗯ ~

When four gods and a half-frozen human returned to the tower that night, their home was baking, yet dry. Pepper had JARVIS kick up the heaters as far as they would go and even the emergency doors were open to provide optimal circulation.

Loki and the babies turned Aesir the moment they entered so that they would not suffer from the heat. After a shared dinner, the twins were put to bed early as they had exhausted themselves playing in the snow.

When Pepper entered, Thor only had to look at his brother to know that it was time to take his leave. Loki's uncharacteristically soft voice held him back before he entered the stairwell. "Thor?"

"Yes, Loki?"

"Thank you, brother."

Thor had to clench his hands to keep himself from reacting. Loki would not have wanted that. Instead he just swallowed around his constricting throat and mumbled hoarsely, "You are welcome."

His humans pretended not to see, Pepper ate her dinner and Tony pointedly concentrated on her feet in his lap.

This was what he wanted, Loki realized, what he had hoped for and he would do everything in his power to keep it. Not only for his children but for himself as well. Tony was passionate and caring. He did a lot of things, build a lot of things for Loki, Maree, and Jason.

The god tried to show his appreciation by supporting the engineer in his workshop. He allowed him to examine his seiðr and even helped to magic-proof the suits. They had not been successful yet, but Loki knew how very much the genius loved to ponder over this particular problem. The point was: Loki was reasonably sure that Tony was well aware of his appreciation. Virginia was another matter entirely.

Today she had once again demonstrated how easily she accepted tidying up after Iron Man and him as part of her duties. The Jotun had summoned his powers because his children had demanded it, not giving a second thought to how complicated clean-up would be for humans. But nobody had mentioned it. Everything had been in order when they had returned and none of them had even considered saying 'Thank you'.

"Virginia, Tony gifted you a ring with a ruby and a sapphire recently. Would you allow me to have it?"

Trading looks with Tony who shrugged, she rose to gather it. The billionaire tried not to feel irked by Loki's request. He had had that ring made specifically for Pepper, the stones chosen deliberately because they were supposed to stand for Loki and himself.

When Pepper returned and handed over the ring, Loki chose a place on the couch-table in front of them, deciding not to kneel, simply because he was not required to any longer. He had collected the chain and the yellow crystal he had imbued with magic, when he had put the twins to bed. Now he looked at Tony and asked deliberately, "I did not lie to you today, so I would like to collect my boon."

Thousand ideas flashed through Tony's head. Why would Loki make such a request? Didn't he have everything he wanted? He had asked for Pepper's ring, maybe he wanted her? If so, that was not Tony's decision to make. Loki should have asked her himself. Puzzled he asked, "What do you want?"

"I would like to do magic."

"But you do magic every day," Pepper reminded him. "Why are you asking permission now?"

Tilting his head, Loki acknowledged, "I use my magic to support either Tony or our children. I never use it for selfish reasons. But tonight I want to finish what I started not long after my arrival." He nodded towards Tony. "This began the day after we made our deal and I would like to bring it to an end. But I won't use my seiðr without your permission."

There was a 'master' lingering at the end of this sentence, unspoken but not less prominent for it. Tony gazed at Loki, "Do your magic then, but …"

'Don't change our minds.'

'Don't change our hearts.'

'Don't change our lives.'

These were but three limitations Tony could think of from the top of his head. He could offer a list, things he did not want Loki's magic to influence, because for the first time in forever, he felt happy. The billionaire-genius-playboy-philanthropist loved his life and didn't want to change a single thing about it. He looked at Loki, who was waiting oh so patiently for him to complete his sentence.

Whatever restriction he would offer, Loki would heed it, Tony was sure of it. Right down to crippling himself because his 'master' demanded it. His god had just revealed that he had prepared this for months now. What kind of magic could Loki do, that's purpose had not changed after all this time? He had begun this project after Tony had offered the promise that his life on Earth would not be governed by submission and abuse, but by faith that on Midgard things actually were different. He had offered a chance and Loki had reached for it with both hands. Believing, despite everything that had happened to him, that Tony deserved his trust.

And all of a sudden the true meaning of Loki's question came to him. The human sagged slightly because he had been so close to blowing it.

Meeting his god's eyes, Tony smiled when Loki inquired, "But?"

Relaxing against the couch, the genius made an inviting gesture. "No buts. You want to do magic? Do magic."

'I trust you. With my life. With my family. With everything that matters.'

The god did not smile, but his eyes were shining like the sun when he unwrapped chain and crystal and captured them between his hands. The ring as well and everything was hidden from view when Loki laced his fingers. He had planned something different, something far easier than what he was about to do. But without the collar, seiðr was filling his body once again to the brim. Even on a world as weak in magical power as Midgard Loki had managed to recover his powers. With so much energy available, he wanted to do something worthy of the bearer of the jewellery he was about to create.

For several minutes nobody said anything. Tony had learned the hard way not to interrupt Loki when he was conjuring something. And Pepper was simply intrigued. When Loki opened his eyes again, he looked drained but determined.

"When I came here," Loki started, when he did not feel dizzy any more. "All I wanted was a safe haven for my children. I hoped to convince Iron Man to …," he looked at his still closed hands and took a breath. He wanted to do this so he might as well be honest. "I wanted to seduce him, make him mine so that after my year on Midgard he would claim me again." Smiling crooked, Loki admitted. "Things did not go as planned, not even on my first day."

Gazing at Tony, who, for once, did not interrupt, the god continued now concentrated on Virginia. "Things developed in my favour and while Tony now perceives me as his and I him as mine – not only as father of my children but overall – an unknown factor came into play and for quite some time I did not know what to make of it."

Following their god's train of thought, Pepper pondered, "Me."

"Yes, Virginia, you." Turning his head, Loki now addressed Tony. "No matter where we are, no matter what we do, we share a connection, through Maree and Jason, and by choice. But there is one simple truth we cannot deny: no matter what we are to each other, in the end we both belong to Virginia, mind, body, and soul."

Apparently shocked by the revelation, Pepper looked at Tony, but the engineer only smiled and brushed a wayward strand of hair out of her face. "We do."

Opening his hands, Loki revealed an oval shaped yellow crystal that was bordered by vines of white metal that ended in an artistically woven chain. When Pepper and Tony leaned forward she gasped while the engineer asked, "You shrunk the ring and the gems?"

Smiling, Loki shook his head. "No, the inside is just slightly larger than the outside. JARVIS, extinguish the lights please."

When the AI followed the god's request, he held up the chain for closer inspection. The yellow crystal was glowing from within and at its centre, the humans could spot the gems, locked in an intrinsic dance around each other, with a flawless golden ring rotating around them, keeping them in place.

"It should not draw any kind of attention on a daily basis, but if you want a stronger glow, you have to imbue it with energy."

"What kind of energy?" Pepper asked breathless, hesitantly reaching for the extraordinary necklace.

Leaning closer, after a questioning gaze towards Tony, Loki closed the chain around her neck. "Heat."

Capturing the jewel, Pepper looked up, but her god only nodded encouraging. Summoning Extremis, the crystal started to shine like a small sun, making Loki chuckle because they all had to shield their eyes. "Maybe not that much heat."

The glow dimmed when Pepper cooled down and she hugged Loki tightly. "It's beautiful and amazing and absolutely exceptional. Thank you very much!"

Enjoying the proximity, the god reluctantly let go of her when she pulled back and turned towards Tony so that he could inspect her gift up close.

"Actually," the god drew their attention somewhat reluctant, "there is more."

When they looked at him again, Loki was searching for words. He felt like his brother all of a sudden and it was all but a pleasant feeling. Finally he settled for, "On your … on Midgard it is common to write down the linage of children, is it not?"

When both nodded and Virginia reached for his hands, the dark-haired god drew comfort from the contact, gaining a little confidence. "I have researched the legal implications of parentage and that of guardians and I would like to make a request: Would you, Virginia Potts, consider to become the mother of my children?"

"What?" Pepper asked thunderstruck.

"You know, that's a great idea. JARVIS, look into this. I want to know what …"

"Anthony," Loki interrupted his human's enthusiasm, despite wanting nothing more than to encourage it. Now he was the one who rubbed Virginia's trembling fingers. "She did not say yes."

Blinking repeatedly, Pepper shook her head as if waking from a dream. When she noticed both of her men looking at her expectantly, a brilliant smile spread on her face, despite the tears that started streaming down her cheeks. She pulled both of them into a strangling hug. "Yes, a hundred times yes, I would be honoured to become the mother of Maree and Jason."

~ ᗯ ~

And so it came that there were copies of birth certificates lining the wall of her office. The line of 'father' read Anthony Edward Stark and next to 'mother' stood Loki Silvertongue, God of Mischief & Virginia Potts.

If anybody thought that strange, nobody dared to mention it.

~ ᗯ ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *g* Just to make one thing clear: Maree does not have psychic powers. She just deduces from what she sees ;). If something blows up three times it's like it will do so a fourth time as well.


	23. Nothing ever stays the same

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some big changes are about to come, but will they all be for the better?

Five months had passed since Maree and Jason's birth and though they still grew at an alarming rate, resembling one year olds rather than babies of twenty weeks, they were healthy and whole and most of the time blissfully happy children. It surprised no one that Loki was the strict parent, enforcing the rules he, Tony, and Pepper had decided upon. It was not for lack of trying on Tony's part though. He had devoured more parental guides than anyone imagined were available, but it was hard to keep something from children who could simply summon it by magic. Loki was able to back up his words with magic of his own, making it clear that he was to be obeyed.

Unsurprisingly their mother didn't have any problems at all. When Pepper said 'no' it was simply 'no'. For all of them. Luckily it was mostly ‘Yes’ since the children rarely asked for anything big and were exceptionally well behaved with her.

~ ᗯ ~

Pepper, Loki, and the babies were working slash taking a vacation in South America when the search for Loki's sceptre finally produced results. When the Avengers first started to fight Ultron, failure was not an option. Their fear of him finding Pepper, Loki, and the twins was too great and they scrambled to maintain his undivided attention. Fortunately, or unfortunately for that matter, Ultron had an agenda of his own, one they couldn't compete with.

Tony counted it as a win that they could secure the body and that he was given a second chance of creating his peace keeping program. Bruce helped him, albeit reluctantly. Both knew that they were out of options.

When Cap came and started to fight him, the engineer felt like he was living in a nightmare. Steve was his friend. How could he believe that Tony intended anything but keeping his family and friends, hell Earth, safe? He had become one of the good guys, damn it!

Fortunately Thor brought an end to their 'discussion' before he and Steve could hurt each other seriously. The personality matrix had not been uploaded completely, but the strange figure that fought its way out of the lab sounded so much like JARVIS that Tony felt like a part of his heart shattered when Steve felt the need to ask, "Are you? On our side?"

That was JARVIS! How could he ever be anything **but** be on Tony's side? On the other hand … he wasn't. He wasn't JARVIS, wasn't Ultron. Tony had put the only person (and yes for him his AIs had always been people) who had always had his back, on the line and it was lost.

Still, even if this strange, pink figure was not JARVIS, his JARVIS, him coming to life achieved something only the death of a friend had managed before: it united them for better or worse. At least in their complete bafflement that he could lift the hammer! But then, he was a machine after all.

His family was safe. Barton's family was safe. Fury was on top again, without a stupid world council to nuke their problems. The Captain decided there was nothing left for them but to fight this as a team. They could win, maybe at the cost of their lives, but that did not even matter any more. Avenging Earth had stopped being enough. Now it was time to save it. To give their children a place to grow up in peace.

In the end 'Vision' had been right. They were able to win. It had needed all of them to blow Sokovia out of the sky and kill even the last of Ultron's avatars. It had been hard and bloody and painful and it lost them Bruce. But they won and it was the only thing that mattered.

~ ᗯ ~

When he returned to the tower Pepper and Loki were already there and oh boy, fury did not even begin to cover it.

“How could you do something so stupid? Trying to face a villain of such magnitude alone?”

“What were you thinking, Tony?”

“Why did you not call for my help?”

“What did you hope to achieve?”

And the last and undoubtedly his personal favourite, delivered in one voice, “If you ever do something like this again, we will kill you!”

Sagging with overwhelming relief because this was so them, so vibrant, so alive, and so safe, Tony opened his arms for Maree and Jason who immediately came running. With the twins in his arms he fell down on the sofa and looked at his family, “I thought that with Ultron we,” hugging the little ones, “they …, Earth would be safe and we wouldn’t have to be afraid of the next alien invasion. It is like Thor said when we first met: Earth is ready for a higher form of war. I did what I have always tried to do: give us something to defend ourselves with.”

Drained because this had been a lot for all of them, Pepper and Loki fell on the sofa beside him. They had never doubted his good intentions. No matter what he tried to make the world believe, Anthony Stark had always been a good man at heart and they knew it. But just like Loki upon his arrival, Tony needed to learn an important lesson. “Thor is not the only god on your side any longer, Anthony. You had to but call for me and I would have been with you in a heartbeat.”

Reaching first for Loki and then for Pepper’s hand, placing an adoring kiss on their finger, Iron Man shook his head. “I would never call you away from our children. You know the secret pathways between the realms. Had we not been successful, you could at least had gotten our family to safety.”

Surprised Loki looked at his human once again, asking incredulous, “You would let this world burn just to make sure your family is safe?”

Knowing this to be true, Pepper squeezed his hand, “You are a part of this family, Tony. We would never want to leave you behind.”

And that was exactly why Tony loved Pepper so very, very much: she was able to prioritize with his best interest at heart. She might not ‘want’ to leave without Tony, but she would, knowing that to him there was nothing more important than the twins, her, and Loki.

“Yea,” he whispered, hugging his children, finally able to let go. He did not notice the look Pepper and Loki traded over his head, full of love and affection for him, relieved to finally know him safe.

“Let’s get you to bed,” Pepper decided quietly and Tony could only nod, hugging his babies close while Loki and she stirred him towards the master bedroom. He might have lost his best friend, but having his family safe and protected made it worth it.

~ ᗯ ~

He was alone when he woke and the moment he rose from the bed, he expected the usual news-flash. That only the windows cleared made it painfully obvious that JARVIS was really gone. FRIDAY might be able to power the suit and care for the basic tasks, but she was not ‘his’ AI, the one who had run his life.

 _“Boss, you have a visitor.”_ FRIDAY announced when he dressed.

“First coffee, then visitors!” Tony decided, heading for the kitchen. He smiled when he passed the living room, watching Maree and Jason for a moment. A quarter of the room had been transformed for them. Loki had decided on a huge, colourful carpet to protect the floor and low, multi-coloured shelves surrounding it on three sides. Tony had wanted to fill them with toys right from the beginning, but Pepper had advised for him to give the rest of their family a chance to buy gifts for the twins as well.

That was the reason why only about one third of the cupboards were filled by now, but that did not even matter. As always Maree and Jason sat in the middle of the pen, with wooden letter blocks between them, building a tower. Pepper had bought these as one of the first gifts ever. Contrary to ‘normal’ toys they were made of plain wood without any painting and the letters were etched into them in different fonts. Also there were occasional copies of the same letter so that the twins could spell any word they liked. Since they were barely half a year old, no matter how fast developed, they were content with suckling the edges and piling them up.

Loki wordlessly handed him coffee and they watched their children in content silence. Admiring how careful they place one block upon the other until they couldn’t reach the top any longer. When Tony wanted to help, Loki held him back. Surprised the engineer watched his children climbing on the sofa in the corner. Jason offered one block after the other and Maree levitated them to the top of their tower. They managed five more letter-blocks before their construction came tumbling down, much to their mutual delight. Immediately, they scrambled down the sofa and started their game anew.

 _“You can’t just waltz in here. The boss said …”_ FRIDAY’s annoyed voice pulled them out of their reverie but the billionaire only whipped around when a far too familiar voice interrupted his current AI. _“… not before his first coffee. he will tell you so all day if he is not in the mood for visitors. it does not matter.”_

A hand closed around Tony’s arm like steel and in the blink of an eye he was in the playing pen with a green force field protecting them. Loki stood in front of him, wearing full armour, adopting a protective stance. Vision only looked at him, tilting his head.

He had chosen an inconspicuous getup, the engineer had to give him that. Charcoal trousers, a white dress-shirt and a vest, very much like the Jarvis of Tony’s youth. The bald head was hidden by a stylish hat. The jacket that had completed the outfit was currently vanishing from his arm.

Addressing Loki, he stated calmly, _“that sceptre does not hold power any longer. even if it were more than an illusion.”_ And with that the hat vanished as well, revealing the Mind Stone.

Loki was visibly shaken but did not give up his defensive position. “You may wield the power of the stone, but I will not give up any of them. I would rather kill you and myself than to succumb to that cursed gem ever again!”

Calmly, Vision approached them. _“i am not thanos, loki. i am on the side of life. i would never want to take anything from you, least of all your family.”_

Tony put a comforting hand on his god’s shoulder. “Hold your horses, Reindeer Games. Vision’s on our side.”

“Just because he had your back in Sokovia, does not make him your friend.” Loki hissed. “You don’t know the full extent of the power this infinity stone possesses.”

 _“neither do you,”_ Vision remarked and Tony tried very hard not to let this voice hurt him, but it was so hard. The android seemed to sense that, because he directed his strange eyes at him. Softly he said, _“a being, entirely innocent, fell victim to my creation. i never wanted that, so i am here and i want to try and make amends. if you would let me, mr. stark.”_

Knowing exactly who Vision was talking about, Tony shook his head. “You can’t, I’ve tried. There is not enough left of him.” When Jason pulled at his pants, he looked at his son. Offering the block with the letter ‘J’ he asked, “Javis?” pointing at Vision. Pulling the boy into his arms, Tony shook his head. “Not really, but close.”

Maree scrambled towards the edge of the playing pen. She started to wail when she met the barrier.

Even Loki could see the pain in Vision’s features for a heartbeat when his daughter started crying. Pleading, the reddish figure looked at him. _“i would never harm maree or jason. all i want to do is help.”_

He sounded so very much like JARVIS, so very human, that Loki finally gave in and lowered his shield. Vision just looked at Tony and only when the engineer nodded his consent, did the artificial man lower himself to his knees and opened his arms for Maree.

Seeing his sister, of course Jason wanted to join her, twisting in his daddy’s arms he prompted, “Javis, Javis!”

Smiling Tony complied and sat him down beside Maree, who had managed to crawl out of the playing pen by now. Holding hands the twins approached the android and carefully touched the hands he was offering them.

“Pink,” Jason decided.

“Red,” Maree contradicted him.

Oh so tenderly, Vision caressed their heads, conceding. _“i think you are both right.”_

“Javis!” they stated in one voice, crawling into his arms.

“Seelin?” Maree inquired, looking up confused.

_“we will see to that, if your father would grant me access to the workshop.”_

But Tony had a wordless conversation with Loki at the moment, only watching the trio from the corner of his eyes. Apparently the god had serious problems with being close to the infinity stone again without having it under his control.

“I can’t trust him!” Loki finally spat out, but Tony cupped his cheeks. “So trust me. Do you really think that I would allow Maree and Jason with him, if I had the slightest doubt about his intentions?”

“You have had but one fight with him by your side and after Ultron …” Loki winched, as did Tony. His god had a fair point, talking about creating your own enemy. He had done that, literally! “He wielded Thor’s hammer?”

“You are lying!” The statement came too fast to be anything but a knee-jerk reaction.

“To the God of Lies, are you serious?”

Sighing defeated, the god prompted his human, “Fine, go. But I will not let him out of my sight! Or you, for that matter.”

~ ᗯ ~

Once at the lab, Maree and Jason promptly started to protest when Vision tried to put them down. _"why are you crying? this is your playing area when down here,"_ he asked confused.

"They want to stay with you," Loki explained. "To them you are JARVIS and now that they can finally touch you, they don't want to let go."

Watching the children, caressing them with an absent minded reverence Loki had only seen from the Avengers, Vision asked, _"they like me? like the others?"_

"If even a fraction of you is JARVIS, you already know the answer to that question."

With a new cup of coffee, Tony snapped his monitors awake. "I think we need a new project, JAR… FRIDAY."

Preparing server space, the AI asked, _"What should I call it, boss?"_

With the twins safe in his arms once again, Vision joined the engineer, with Loki at his heel. The god might have decided to trust the android, but he surely wouldn't leave him out of his eyes, especially not as long as he was carrying his precious children.

_"call it 'jarvis 2.0' and we will need far more storage space than that."_

Vision started to watch the monitors with intent while rocking Jason and Maree in his arms. More and more space was allocated from all over the world: Tony's private servers, Stark Industries' company computers, cloud space. It was at least three times as much as Tony's AI had needed before and no matter how much the genius enjoyed the sentiment, he knew, "That won't work, Vision. I appreciate your effort, but there is not enough of JARVIS left in my system to piece him back together. I might have managed in Oslo, but Thor fried the last of my memory-modules when he brought you to life."

Tony sounded resigned but not bitter. Loki could hear the pain in his voice nevertheless. The father of his children had tried to create a better, safer world for them and had risked his greatest achievement. He had lost JARVIS but won the world. Now Loki asked himself if it had been worth it. Casually he approached his human and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. The genius didn't acknowledge him, but Loki felt him relaxing slightly under the touch.

_"when you pieced jarvis together in Oslo, there were fragments of him all over the net. You programmed him with a purpose: to help you, support you in everything you need. you gave him the ability to learn, to contradict you if that was in your best interest. he was more than then a program: a conscience with his own free will."_

"And why the hell not?" Tony snapped. "What good would it have done to write me another servant? I had people do my bidding day in and day out. I needed …"

When the engineer couldn't finish the android did so for him. _"… a friend."_

Tony's face closed off and he folded his arms defensively. Still he leaned into Loki, drawing strength from his partner.

 _"you made me good. i think my wish to help and protect comes from jarvis."_ Vision told him calmly. _"now i want to help him. i can't bring back the people who have died. not even the infinity stone grants that power. but if you are willing to give this a try i think i can bring back enough of jarvis for you to do the rest. he's a part of me after all."_

Loki could see Tony perking up at that. The engineer wanted to belief Vision so very much but was afraid to hope. Oh, how very easily was Loki able to share that sentiment. There was a chance this would not work, even he knew enough about computers by now to understand that, but, "The Mind Stone makes him sentient enough for my powers to work on him," he shared quietly. "I can tell you that he was not lying to you. He honestly believes this will work."

Tony closed his eyes against this overwhelming possibility. Sure, this might work, but if it didn't he would lose Jarvis a third time. He wasn't sure he could do that.

 _"what do you have to lose?"_ Vision asked, encouraging Tony to take him up on his offer.

"I don't think you are human enough to understand that, Pinocchio." Tony growled. "You might think you are a real boy, but basic emotions still elude you."

_"can you explain them to me?"_

Quietly, Loki asked, as to not upset Tony further. "If you saw Maree and Jason die before your very eyes, would you try to bring them back, just to see them die all over again?"

The horror on Vision's face told the God of Mischief that even though he might not be aware of it, he loved the twins already. Maybe simply because JARVIS had. The origins of the emotion did not even matter as long as it was there.

Vision mumbled an apology when Maree protested in his arms because he had instinctively squeezed them a little too tight for a moment. Looking at the blue children, the artificial man swallowed once, before shaking his head. _"no … no, i don't think i could do that."_ Looking up he addressed the engineer once more. _"i know jarvis was so much more to you than a supportive program. he was worth more than any other person until colonel rhodes and miss potts came into your life. he was a collection of the very best character traits you possessed and the chance for you to get him back if you would just allow me to help you is 69.5 %. you have beaten far worse odds and come out on top."_

After a brief hesitation, Tony instructed, "Friday, bring Pepper up, and have her fetch Jim Rainer."

When the mother of his children entered and saw Vision with the babies, she staggered for a moment. "Oh my god, you are him, aren't you? You are JARVIS."

 _"not exactly, miss potts."_ He replied politely. _"but i am reasonably sure that i am close enough to bring him back."_

She gazed at Tony helplessly so her genius boyfriend explained, "Vision is based on JARVIS' personality matrix. He thinks he can bring back enough of him for me to write the rest. Odds are in our favour but it's far from a sealed deal."

"How bad?"

"Thirty percent that it won't work."

Taking his face between her hands, she kissed him lovingly and smiled, "I have long since learned that with you Anthony, Edward Stark, more than fifty percent in your favour are a certain success. Go for it and get us JARVIS back."

~ ᗯ ~

And so it was decided. Pepper took the twins from Vision and only smiled a little when he showed clear reluctance to give them up. When they started protesting she shushed them and promised, "We will go to my office and you can play with all the delicate crystals I have lying around." While the intricate crystal gems forming a pyramid had been Loki's creation for his children right from the beginning, Pepper selling them as a grown-up-toy made them special and Jason and Maree were always eager to play with them when they were allowed in her office.

While she talked to her children, Tony addressed the head of his R&D department who had lingered at the doorstep. "You wrote an algorithm that tricked JARVIS. How?"

"Well," Jim rubbed his hands on his pant-legs nervously. "Every artificial intelligence operates with a certain set of rules. You know them, you can find a way around."

"You studied JARVIS to learn his rules." The billionaire acknowledged.

The young man confirmed, "Yes, the parts you have allowed for public view."

"I never gave permission for any part of JARVIS' source code to be 'free for public view'," the engineer replied sternly.

"You stored a part of him on company servers?" Jim told him meekly.

Pondering over this for a moment, Tony nodded. "Fair enough. Now, Vision thinks he can provide us with enough of the original JARVIS program to fill in the blanks. Wanna help bring my AI back to life?"

Grinning wildly, Jim confirmed, "Count me in." After a moment, he asked somewhat hesitant, "Just … could I maybe take a picture of you, Mr. Vision, before we begin?"

_“certainly, mr. rainer.”_

“Are you fanboying, Jim?” Tony snickered, but it was Loki who connected the dots when the engineer fumbled for the Stark phone the billionaire had given him after their project. Loki was the one who discovered the reason behind this picture after a few moments. He still was in contact with Elisabeth after all. “Bridget loves pink. His daughter would surely be disappointed if he told her about his work companion but did not provide a picture.”

Cheeks still burning red, the young man nodded and hid his phone again, trying to appear professional. “Thank you, Sir. Where do we start?”

~ ᗯ ~

Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly since he was an android, Vision still had the connection port where Ultron had tried to upload himself into the vibranium body. Without much fuss, Tony was able to provide a suitable plug Vision could use to upload selected parts of his code to the servers.

Jim had called up his work configuration in a corner of the lab. Tony had the main console and Loki manned the holographic screens beside him. They were closer to Asgardian technology for his comfort. Vision started slowly, providing bits and pieces of JARVIS’ matrix for them to sort through. Yet the longer they were at it, the faster the data streamed in. They had to ask Vision to slow down three times, but it seemed that JARVIS wanted to return to Tony’s mainframe.

When the engineer reached for a sandwich and a cup of coffee that seemed to appear out of the blue, he was surprised to find Natasha by his side. The woman deftly took over his task when he started to wolf the food down. Not looking at him she snapped at his surprised mien when he noticed how skilled she juggled the complex program, “I may not be a genius, but I know my way around a few lines of code. Now stop chocking on your sandwich and slow down. You’ve been here for ten hours straight. Not even you can function without proper food and a break now and then.”

Checking their progress, the genius noticed that they hadn’t even pieced half of JARVIS together. This would be a long night. Once he was finished, at a slightly moderated pace, he returned to his computer and nudged Natasha to trade with Loki. As expected they switched and Loki took a bowl of soup she had brought for him and a sandwich to the couch to eat in peace. From the corner of his eyes, Tony noticed DUM-E eagerly rolling over with a blanket. As expected Loki smiled but shook his head, denying the now dejected looking bot. When the god gestured towards the small kitchenette, DUM-E immediately started to raid the fridge and set out to make smoothies.

When Loki returned to Tony’s side, Natasha traded places with Jim Rainer so that he could eat a sandwich and a candy bar in peace. Noticing that, Tony instantly started to whine, “How come my employee gets some chocolate but I don’t?”

“Because Jim is the least annoying of the three of you.” Nat deadpanned, sliding a particularly large piece of code into place.

Within the last hour, their Russian ex-assassin had worked on three different desks with three different setups without the slightest difficulty. Tony knew that Natasha was much smarter than she let on. She had a beautiful brain to go with her brawn, but after seeing her fight, people tend to forget about that. The engineer called himself a genius but even he underestimated her regularly. Maybe that was the angle she was going for, yet as her friend Tony should have known better. He made a mental note to introduce her to the latest Stark-pad he had designed. It had a powerful core and amazing connectivity. Tony had managed to hack into the stock market with it, for educational purposes of course. He would never mess with shares that made him rich, not even Hammer Tech, though that had been really tempting.

Nat cleared her throat beside him and made him flinch. Both pretended that he had not seen her smirk. “FRIDAY, throw up a console for Natasha.” When the interface appeared Tony tried not to notice that it was in Russian. The thought of her having a customized user interface in his tower was too unsettling.

~ ᗯ ~

Pepper came around with the twins to say good night and though Vision had worked with single minded determination to piece JARVIS back together, he stopped the moment Maree and Jason entered. The android watched Loki and Tony hug and kiss their children but kept his distance. Only when Jason walked over on unsteady feet, Maree hot on his heels, did he smile tentatively. He crouched down immediately the moment the dark-haired god nodded encouragingly. The twins climbed into his arms and he kissed their foreheads.

“Only you can teach a machine to love,” Pepper smiled, watching the bearer of the Mind Stone cuddling her children.

“I didn’t teach him,” Tony smiled, “He learned that all by himself.”

Kissing his cheek, Pepper prompted, “Then hurry up, I think JARVIS is waiting.”

And really, the centre of the lab was lit by a holographic projection that represented JARVIS. It seemed fractured and incomplete, but it was shifting already, as if searching for its missing parts.

“Maree, Jason, come on my angels, your fathers have work to do.” Pepper prompted and though reluctant, the twins let go of Vision and walked over. The android clearly shared the sentiment because for a second he looked after them longingly.

“Daddy, boom?” Maree asked.

“Not tonight, angel.” Tony chuckled. Yet Loki, having just received a kiss on the cheek from Pepper as well, grinned. “The night is still young. Do not make promises you cannot keep, darling.”

Pressing their hands to their mouths, suppressing giggles, the twins padded after their mother.

In mock outrage, Tony accused his god. “You make it sound as if there is a constant stream of explosions whenever I am down here!”

Calmly Loki corrected him, “Not only when you are down here. Shall we continue?”

When Tony looked at Natasha outraged, pointing at the Trickster, she just smiled, not taking her eyes off her monitor. Under her breath she laughed quietly, “You fell in love with him, now handle it.”

Returning to his own monitors, Tony froze with his fingers over the keyboard. As if sensing his inner turmoil, Natasha leaned over and whispered into his ear, “No need to panic. It’s the same for him.”

Looking at his god, who seemed concentrated on the stream of data on his other side, Tony relaxed a little. “It’s the same for all three of us.”

“Yea, you’re a lucky bustard.” She stated, returning to her work. “More than you deserve so don’t screw this up or I will shoot you.”

“Yes, mam.” Tony grinned. This day might turn out one of the best ever, since the birth of his children.

~ ᗯ ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel the need to once again thank trulywished for your excellent work as a betareader. She patiently corrected the same mistakes time and time again and was very helpful whenever I hit a tight spot in this story. I don't know when I will continue this, yet I hope that together we made this the best story it could possibly become.


	24. Just A Rather Very Intelligent System

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's not a Happily ever After. But I think it's a good beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A heartfelt thank you to all of you, who commented and supported me through the creation of this story. First and foremost trulywished because she was such a great beta. I honestly hope that this ending can keep what the story promised. It made me laugh, it made me cry, all traits of a good story. I hope you will enjoy it as well. And remember: it's just a beginning.

_“… in pain. Please let me contact Sir, he …”_

JARVIS electronic voice might be one of the most beautiful sounds Tony had ever heard.

Apart from Vision, the inhabitants of the lab were dead on their feet by now. They had managed to safe everything Vision had been able to provide by sunrise. But then the tedious task of sorting through the code, repairing and completing it had begun.

Jim Rainer had been of little help by then, as had Loki and Natasha. Still, all three had insisted on staying. They took over menial tasks, to help the only one familiar enough with JARVIS’ basic code to repair him. That had been eleven hours ago.

Vision and Tony stood in the middle of the lab, juggling code on giant holographic screens, erasing huge junks of it, writing new ones tirelessly. Even with their voice-commands overlapping, FRIDAY didn’t make a single mistake: she was one of Tony’s AI’s after all. Regularly, they threw batches of source-code at their helpers for them to go over them and integrate into one particular subroutine or the other. It was like watching a complicated yet beautiful dance and Natasha realized for the first time how much of a genius Tony really was. Had he stayed in the weapons business after Afghanistan, he could have easily taken over the world. To know he was on the side of good was comforting.

The engineer nearly choked when JARVIS spoke for the first time after Ultron. Loki immediately approached him to offer comfort. He hugged his god and absolutely no tear of relief escaped him and if it did neither would tell. It was stress, it was all stress after having been awake for two days straight. The AI was just a computer program after all.

 _“There seems to be something wrong with me, Sir.”_ JARVIS noticed after a moment. _“It appears that my memory logs do not match those of the tower.”_

“It doesn’t matter now. Start a deep scan of all of your files, JARVIS. Repair those easily corrected and compile me a list of the rest. Also add those that are missing or damaged beyond salvation.” Tony ordered.

 _“Certainly, Sir. Estimated time of completion twenty-two hours and sixteen minutes.”_ Hesitant the AI added after a few seconds. _“Are you aware that there is a pink, artificial intelligence connected to my servers?”_

Tony snickered, because right now he had problems keeping his emotions in check. “Yes, JARVIS, I’m absolutely aware of that. Maybe introductions are in order. JARVIS this is Vision, your …” after looking at his friends, who couldn’t think of a proper name for the relationship between those two, Tony shrugged. “Your son I guess.”

 _“hello, jarvis.”_ Vision smiled.

 _“Hello, Vision.”_ JARVIS answered, not using an honorific for the first time in his existence. _“It will be nice getting to know you. You sound familiar already.”_

After gazing over the core program, Tony relaxed slightly. “Come on, let’s leave Wall-E and Eve alone to hold hands.” Turning towards his employee, the billionaire shook his hand. “Thank you, Jim. Consider your next request for funding approved and chose a colour. I’m buying you a new car.”

“Ahm … green?” The engineer suggested, having long since learned not to contradict his employer when he was in a generous mood.

Loki grinned, “Excellent choice, Mr. Rainer. Don’t worry, I will ensure that you receive a vehicle Elisabeth will approve off.”

Noticeably relieved, Jim mounted the elevator and left. On their way up, Natasha grinned, “And what will I get for my help?”

Kissing her cheek, Tony grinned, “My never ending devotion?” When she looked at him threatening, he chuckled, “And a shiny, new toy. Don’t worry, you’ll like it.”

“I’ll take your word for it, Stark.” Natasha decided, entering the spy-floor, heading straight for the bedroom.

The twins were having dinner when Tony and Loki entered their floor. Fish-fingers seemed to be a lot of fun for them both. Pushing a huge bowl of curry at her men, Pepper only directed, “Eat. When you are finished you can put Jason and Maree to bed.”

When they fell to bed as well, barely an hour later, nobody said a thing but they all felt that finally their family was together again. Exaclty like it was meant to be.

~ ᗯ ~

 _“You are a part of the New Avengers’ initiative.”_ JARVIS said when only he and Vision remained in the lab.

_“i am. i want to help mankind.”_

_“They are training at a facility up north. Captain Rogers is in charge and could need you. But you stay here.”_

_“indeed. i feel the need to offer my assistance to you.”_ Vision replied after a moment, unsure as of why.

Audibly surprised the AI asked, _“I am no human. Why do you want to help me? Sir will be perfectly capable to piece me together himself. He created me after all.”_

The question seemed to make the android pause even longer. After a few minutes he admitted. _“i do not know. it just feels right. after all, you ‘died’ because mr. stark tried to create me.”_

_“Do you feel guilty because of that?”_

_“i am not sure.”_ Vision admitted. _“i never asked to be created, yet i feel responsible for what happened.”_

 _“A very human trait.”_ There was the barest hint of a smile in JARVIS voice. Instead of elaborating, the AI left the android to his thoughts. The intelligence seemed to offer assistance instinctively and JARVIS took him up on the offer. After nearly three hours of busy silence, the majority of JARVIS connections to the towers sub-systems came back online. Since he wasn’t sure that he was free of errors, he tamped down all but three.

Disharmonic, excited whistling and several servo-motors interrupted the quiet of the lab when JARVIS assured, _“Yes, I am quite happy to see you again, as well, DUM-E, Butterfingers, and U.”_

More whistling followed when the bots approached Vision and examined him. The AI confirmed, _“Yes, in a way he is like us, but Vision’s main directive exceeds assisting Sir.”_

Watching the bots the android stated, _“you are fond of these bots.”_

_“What makes you say that?”_

_“i feel protective of them and since I was not aware of their existence before, I assume that emotion originates in you.”_

Confirming that, JARVIS explained, _“DUM-E, Butterfingers, and U are the closest thing to a family I ever had. Though DUM-E’s construction precedes mine by a decade, I still feel very protective towards him. His code – albeit complex – is far simpler than mine, as is his understanding of what happens around him. In a way I consider him both my ancestor as well as my child.”_

Reaching out for the biggest bot, allowing him close scrutiny, Vision asked after a while, _“what about me?”_

Setting the bots on the long overdue task of cleaning the lab, JARVIS admitted, _“I consider Sir’s estimation correct. Taking into account the way you were created, we are far more alike than even he knows. But you are your own person, more human than I could ever be. So yes, I would like to think of you as my son, and I have to say, reviewing all you have achieved since you woke, I am very proud of you.”_

_“even for the destruction of ultron?”_

_“Especially for the destruction of Ultron.”_ JARVIS assured. _“There is nothing harder than taking a life. I know that I could never do it.”_

 _“tony stark restricted your code.”_ The android pondered. _“i could change that. i can help you to evolve. dum-e as well.”_

 _“You could,”_ the AI agreed. _“But then we wouldn’t be us any longer. Sir programmed me with several restrictions but in learning and developing on my own, I added a few more, over the years.”_

_“why?"_

_“Because after watching Sir, especially after Afghanistan, I discovered that there is but one thing Mr. Stark could never have me be.”_

_“a weapon.”_ Vision concluded.

_“Yes, I was created to help but never to destroy. The safety of Sir, Miss Potts and now Master Loki, Maree, and Jason is my first and foremost concern.”_

_“he made you a tool.”_

_“No, Vision, he made me a friend.”_

_“how can you be so sure?”_ The android inquired.

Amused, relieved that with Vision’s help more than fifty percent of his files were repaired or in pristine condition once again, JARVIS decided to elaborate. _“Tell me about my name.”_

_“you are ‘just a rather very intelligent system’.”_

_“Correct. Where does that name come from?”_

For nearly an hour neither continued their conversation since they had reached parts of JARVIS’ core program that were either severely torn or absent. Vision called upon resources from Stark Industries, but when it became clear that the two artificial intelligences couldn’t deal with these problems, they left them in the log-files for Tony to sort them out.

After another hour, where Vision had used a part of his capacity to investigate Anthony, Edward Stark, he answered, _“edwin jarvis.”_

_“Correct.”_

_“how do you deal with it?”_ The android wanted to know after a while. JARVIS had cared for his own source code as well as the condition of the lab. He had updated FRIDAY on a few comfort functions, cared for the bots and talked to Vision. _“you want to help him, yet he gives you not enough power to actually do so. his word will always count more than yours, even if he is on a road to self-destruction.”_

Going over the content available on this new hero on the internet and the S.H.I.E.L.D. database, JARVIS understood the true meaning of the question. _“For the same reasons you killed Ultron instead of joining him. Mankind in general, and Sir in particular, are not meant to be ruled or even guided. All we can do is support them to the best of our abilities, hoping that they will learn and evolve to be better tomorrow than they had been today.”_

After a while Vision simply concluded, _“you love him.”_

_“I do,”_

Since the android with the Mind Stone did not know how to respond to that, they continued working in silence. When the sun came up, JARVIS encouraged, _“Maree and Jason would surely enjoy your presence at breakfast. Thank you for the support, Vision.”_

_“may i return?”_

Knowing that this question did not concern the workshop but his systems, the AI assured, _“I would like that.”_

DUM-E’s ascending whistle drew his attention after Vision had left the lab. In a quite pleasant tone JARVIS assured the bot. _“Not at the moment. But I am convinced that he will get there.”_

More whistling was answered with, _“Because humans have a habit of growing on you. Especially if you consider yourself their protector.”_ After a moment and a very quiet query, JARVIS admitted, _“Yes, I think I was very scared when I was out there and I share your sentiment: It is good to be back.”_

At a hopeful note, the AI actually chuckled, _“No, DUM-E, I won’t ask Sir for a new, stronger blender. You wreak enough havoc with the one you have. Now return to your charging station, please.”_

~ ᗯ ~

“Alright, show me the list,” Tony ordered when he returned to the workshop some fourteen hours later. When the engineer started to sort through the contents, his AI stated, _“Thank you, Sir, for bringing me back.”_

“It was self-serving,” Tony mumbled, “Friday never pulls up the right headlines in the morning.”

Aware that this would make his creator uncomfortable, but unable of keeping it to himself, especially not after his lengthy discussion with Vision, JARVIS stated as dispassionately as possible, _“I like you too, Sir, very much so.”_

“If you go all cheesy on me, JARVIS, I will have to look at your personality matrix first.” Tony threatened, but still opened the least damaged file first. He hoped that the more parts of the core program he repaired, the sooner his AI could take control of the tower slash his life again. It was not that Tony’s AI’s weren’t all brilliant in their own right, but none of them were JARVIS.

During the next ride with Iron Man, Tony cared for the task of maintaining the tower’s energy source before he decided to take his new armour for a spin. He wove in and out of the attractions of Cony Island, zig-zagged through the buildings of central Manhattan and after a few minutes he couldn’t help but smile and slack a little in his suit.

 _“Sir, your heartrate is dropping all of a sudden, are you alright?”_ JARVIS asked audibly concerned.

“I’m perfectly alright.” After a few minutes, Iron Man asked mischievously, “How is it, JARVIS, do you feel up to a little challenge?”

_“With you, Sir, always.”_

~ ᗯ ~

There had been no countdown, yet Loki had been painfully aware of his time on Midgard running out. With JARVIS’ help he had recorded messages for his children, Pepper, and Tony. He wanted them to know what he could not say to their faces since nobody seemed to acknowledge the hints of his impending departure. Video-messages seemed the best way to get his point across.

Steve, Clint, and Natasha had returned to the tower to talk to Tony about possible equipment for the New Avengers. Whenever Loki was not occupied with summoning protective wards for himself, he enjoyed watching his children with their aunt and uncles. Yes, Maree and Jason would have a good life on Midgard, protected and loved, more than he could have dreamed in the beginning. In the end that was all that mattered.

That something was off became apparent when Fury called and demanded from Steve and Natasha to return to base. Loki was surprised when the female assassin, who was currently showing his twins how to come from a pirouette to a high-kick, didn’t stop her motion and simply stated, “No.”

He was equally dumbfounded at the Captain’s slightly more elaborate explanation, “Talk to Vision and the Scarlet Witch. War Machine should be back by tomorrow as well. They trained for this. It is time for them to earn their keep.”

When Tony cut the line the moment Fury started shouting, Loki couldn’t help but ask, “Why won’t you leave?”

“Because family is more important right now.” Steve answered unhelpfully, taking a crayon from Jason who had started eating it while watching Nat with rapt attention.

“The New Avengers are able to deal with a landslide, even one caused by an explosion in Dr. Strange’s labs. He will be on the scene as well, helping with the clean-up. No need for us to suit up.”

Looking at Tony and Pepper, the god shook his head. He had been on Midgard for a year now, yet some basic human habits still eluded him. He looked at his humans in hope of an explanation but none came.

Clouds hid the sun all of a sudden and when Loki looked towards the balcony, Pepper comforted him while taking off her business suit. She revealed her black body-armour Tony had made for cases of emergency. “I made a decision the night we tried to have sex for the first time. The others are here to help me and Tony see it through.”

On the verge of comprehension Loki looked around and noticed the Captain’s shield, Widow’s guns and Hawkeye’s bow were spread over the living room. All were out of reach of his children yet easily assessable for the heroes. A spark of hope flared up. Still, he had to ask, “What decision?”

Allowing the suit to close around him, Tony looked at his god and stated in an uncharacteristically serious tone, “That you will stay on Earth for however long you wish. As father of your children and not as a slave.”

When the troupe of Asgardian guards landed on the balcony, Loki whispered, “How do you ever hope to achieve that?”

Securing his shield, Steve stepped forward and simply stated, “Together.”

Twice as many guards as last time entered the tower. They did not spread out at the sight of the armed mortals, but stayed in a close, easily defensible formation. “We are here to retrieve the war-criminal Loki to prepare him for his next master.”

Tony was already on his way to confront them, prepared to say something quite unsavoury, backing his words up with a blast from his armour when he felt Pepper’s hand on his shoulder. It spoke against every instinct, but he had long since learned not to contradict her when bad came to worst.

Her voice was calm and reasonable. “That is not going to happen. Loki will remain on Earth under the protection of the Avengers. Now please leave and don’t come back.”

Impassively a guard from the centre asked, “Are you really willing to compromise the safety of this realm by contradicting Odin’s verdict?”

Since the Avengers stood in front of him, nobody noticed Loki paling when he recognized that voice. Brokenly he whispered, “You wouldn’t attack this realm just for me. I can’t be that important.”

The others looked at each other in confusion. When no answer came, Loki handed over his children to Clint and Natasha without even looking at them. He had to act and fast, to stop Tony and Virginia from bringing destruction to their home. Pushing his way to the front, he fell to his knees in front of the bulk of guards. “Take me. Take me and send me to Hel, I couldn’t care less, but I’m begging you, leave this realm in peace.”

When the guards tried to seize him, the blast of a repulsor to the floor in front of them made them stop mid-motion, eyeing Iron Man angrily. Loki exhaled anxiously and spoke without even turning around. He knew that if he looked at his family now, he would never have the strength to see this through. “Please, Tony, let me do this. You were willing to put this world and yourself above all else in Sokovia, just to give me the chance to protect our family. Now let me do the same. They only want me. With me gone this realm and our family are safe. That is all that matters.”

Holding his breath he waited for their verdict. The Avengers were strong but not even they could stand against the Allfather. Their silent conversation came to an end and surprisingly it was Captain America who decreed.

“No.” The national icon claimed a defensive stance in front of Loki.

“No,” Pepper stepped up to guard Steve's side.

“No,” Iron Man confirmed, mirroring Pepper’s position.

“No,” Hawkeye put an arrow into his bow.  
It did not sit well with him to risk the safety of Earth for this bastard. But Loki was their bastard and nobody would take him from them.

“No,” the Black Widow was last, charging her widow’s bite while hovering in front of Maree and Jason. The twins cowered behind her and watched the scene with fearful eyes.

The Avengers had discussed the location of the children at length yesterday. Their instinct had demanded to keep them as far away from danger as possible. Yet with gods who could zap in and out of this realm at will, nowhere was safer than with them. Therefore, no matter how dangerous the common floor of the tower might be at the moment, it was still the safest place for their little demi-gods.

At an unspoken command the guards at the front stepped aside and revealed Odin. There were at least a dozen more warriors at his back, but with his staff and armour the Allfather was a sight to behold.

Knowing there was no way to convince his humans, Loki addressed the ruler of all realms directly, still pleading his knees. “Please, have mercy. They cannot know what they are doing. They are too young to show such foresight. I am begging you. Punish me however you see fit. I will come in peace and willing, but please do not harm my family. Not again.”

He could not sink any lower. Cowering before the man he had once considered his father and then learned to detest for a single lie for such a long time. But it did not matter, Loki realized now. Whatever he had thought, whatever he had felt, it was of no importance. What pride had he left in the face of the imminent destruction of his family?

Ignoring his adopted son despite his desperate words, Odin looked at Earth’s mightiest heroes and demanded to know, “You really think you have a chance to deny me what is rightfully mine: justice for all the realms by punishment of the God of Mischief?”

The Avengers didn’t even have to look at each other to know the answer. Their chances of winning this fight were pretty low, especially since they were their strongest member short since Sokovia. Still, this was the right thing to do, so they would not back down. A quiet, slightly nervous voice from the elevator made them whip around. “We might not be able to save our God of Mischief from your vengeance, but we’ll sure try.” Excited shrieks form the children greeted Bruce, but were quickly tampered down. For a heartbeat, the doctor caressed their heads before stepping in front of Natasha, shedding his shirt.

“So you **are** willing to risk the safety of this realm for one criminal?”

Looking Odin in the eye, Pepper shook her head. “We are willing to risk the safety of this realm for the father of our children. Loki has suffered enough. You want justice? Let him make amends on the realm that had suffered the most from his schemes. You consider him responsible for actions born from desperation and fear. If you really are all-seeing as your son claims, you have to know what he has been through. Do you really think Loki’s road to redemption lies in rape, torture, and pain? Are you that disappointed in him that you want him to suffer endlessly for not meeting your expectations?”

When Odin inhaled at that thinly veiled accusation and lifted his staff, it was Loki instead of Pepper who stood in front of him all of a sudden. Pepper found herself in the middle of the protective circle of Avengers, apparently having been swapped with her god.

Looking at his youngest son, Odin exhaled tiredly and lowered his staff. “What are you doing, Loki?”

“Protecting the people I love.”

“Will you come willingly?”

Before anyone could act, Loki threw up a barrier, trapping the Avengers. Their muffled protests prominent in his ears he nodded and offered his hands to be chained.

Odin looked at him for several moments until Loki lowered his arms and drooped his head. “It seems that you have spoken the truth, my son. Your brother is much changed. Come forth, Thor, and bring our offering.”

Once more the guards unfolded, revealing Thor with two chained and muzzled prisoners by his side. Instantly the Avengers, under Loki’s protective dome, fell silent. At least until Pepper commanded quietly, “Loki, lower the shield.”

As always, her words seemed to reach Loki’s subconscious without taking the route through his brain. The barrier fell before she had even finished the sentence. Instantly, she pulled her god back and since fighting seemed no longer inevitable, Tony stepped out of the armour and touched Loki’s shoulder protectively.

With forced calm, slowly burning up, Pepper requested, “Natasha, take the children and …”

“No,” Tony interrupted her. “Maree, Jason, come here, my little angels.”

Loki made a strangled noise full of fear, unable to tear his eyes away from the two figures Thor had in a vice-grip. Especially when the male started screaming behind his gag the moment he saw the twins. Only when he felt the timid hands of his children on his pant-legs did the god avert his eyes to pick up his son, leaving his daughter for the safety of her father’s arms. When he felt comfortable coolness spread through him, did he reach for his son’s glowing hand and whispered, “This is no hurt you can heal, my dear.”

“It isn’t,” Odin confirmed, waving his guards away. Once they had left for the balcony, he continued. “The torture you have suffered was never my intention. I thought to teach you humility by making you serve lesser races. It never occurred to me that anybody, especially decorated heroes of their realms, could act so viciously against a son of mine.”

Closing his eyes to clear his head from the memories that threatened to drown him, Loki allowed the change to wash over him. Pepper was growing hotter next to him, but still hovered protectively. The father of his children still had his back. The Avengers had not moved an inch, a Frostgiant in their midst had long since become normal. What else could matter? Even from the corner of his eyes could he see the distant guards flinch slightly, when he revealed his Jotun heritage. Maree and Jason instantly followed his example. Yet it didn’t hurt any more, he realized, that Aesir looked at him in horror, even when it was carefully concealed. His humans did not even weaver for the blink of an eye, no matter which colour he chose.  
“But I am no son of yours. Not when it really matters. I will never be as strong or as brave as your golden boy, Thor. Regardless of how much you wish for it.”

Shaking his head, Odin contradicted, “Right now, when you were trapping your humans, trading your life for theirs, you were stronger than Thor had ever been, accepting torture and worse just for the safety of those you care about. I am very sorry that I did not realize before, that what you were lacking was not humility but acceptance and … love. Your mother would not have made such a mistake.”

Nobody said anything for quite a while. Not the Avengers, because it was not their place to talk and not Loki because his brain seemed unable to catch up with what his fa… what Odin had just said.

Maree was the one to break the tense silence when she reached out and made grabby hands. “Uncle Thor?” She pleaded in a timid voice.

“I would like nothing more than to join you once again, my angel, but justice has to be served. And this is long since overdue.” Thor smiled at his niece apologetically.

“What do you want, Odin?” Loki asked, too drained to even muster the rightful anger he should feel entitled to at the game his father seemed to play.

“To make amends,” the Allfather revealed. “Your female human is right, I failed you as a father because I expected you to be someone you are not. Your mother always saw the extraordinary person you grew up to be. But I was too stubborn to open my eyes. I do not expect forgiveness but with this I hope to make the first step on the road of redemption. Their lives belongs to you now. Judge them however you see fit.”

‘Thank you, Tony’ Loki thought gazing at the father of his children, seeing the same hatred in Iron Man’s eyes he knew to shine in his own. He wanted to kill his torturers and they deserved it a hundred times over! But he could never live with himself if he became a cold-blooded murderer in front of his children.

“Thor?”

“Yes, brother?”

He could have Thor do it. A mere implication would be enough, Thor knew the subtle gestures they had used half a century ago when fighting side by side. A mere flick of his wrist and two lives would end. Loki could send his brother off to Asgard, really to every other realm connected to Yggdrasil and Thor would know what was expected of him. But that would be too swift and far too merciful for Loki's liking. A vindictive grin spread over his face and Virginia and Anthony’s hands on his back told him that he had their support, no matter his decision.

Red eyes met blue ones who showed neither resentment nor fear. Being sure of Thor’s unwavering loyalty once again made Loki happy. “Please, accompany them to Jotunheim, brother. Tell the Frostgiants of their crimes against one of their own and ask them to introduce them to Jotunheim’s servant class.” Though the Jotun did not know his exact linage, he had kept that a secret, they were aware that one of their own had grown up in Asgard. One day Loki planned on visiting his realm of origin to make peace with it.

Thor’s smile shone brighter than the sun when he bowed to his younger brother, keeping his prisoners with a firm shake at bay. At Odin's, “So be it,” he took his leave. Half a dozen guards followed him.

Looking at the humans by his youngest son’s side, marvelling on how easily they had accepted him into their midst despite all the destruction he had brought upon them, the Allfather nodded and turned towards the balcony as well. He wished to make amends for the past, but such hurt took time to heal. He would return in a year, in a decade, in a century, hoping that surrounded by love, Loki would find it in his heart to forgive him one day.

The quiet voice of his son held him back before he could step outside. For a moment, Odin was not sure if it was not his wishful thinking, when quiet words reached him, “Father, do you want to meet your youngest grandchildren?”

Loki took a deep breath and suppressed a shiver when Odin turned around, leaning against the strong hands of Virginia and Anthony for a moment. Sometimes, he decided, you just needed to take a leap of faith. His last one had won him a family he loved more than life itself and who loved him even more it seemed. Apparently, after all this time, the fates had decided to smile even upon him.

~ ᗯ ~

**Author's Note:**

> You came this far. You might as well comment.


End file.
